"Jonas had already warned us about that specific race and descent six months ago" - New details emerge over Vingegaard's horrible Itzulia Basque Country crash
CyclingFriday, 05 April 2024 at 12:32
Jonas Vingegaard crashed in a descent that he already knew and had warned about it's dangers. A terrible end to his Itzulia Basque Country, the Team Visma | Lease a Bike rider was even aware that the road down Olaeta was of significant danger.
Markus Laerum, CEO of Safe Cycling - who provide safety consultations and support for cycling races - has talked to Sporza regarding the incident that marked stage 4. "It was a terrible image, but above all very frustrating to see happen. Especially because Jonas had already warned us about that specific race and descent six months ago," he reveals. "One of our discussion partners at the time was Jonas. He shared a lot of insights with us. About the general dangers of the race, but also about specific stages. And that's where the Basque Country and this descent came up."
This descent was previously outlined as rather dangerous, despite not being overly technical. It was the amount of bumps in the road, presumably due to tree roots developing under the tarmac, that made this corner an hazard that many riders did not foresee. Footage of the crash from the motorbike shows clearly how several riders went over bumpy tarmac right as the road turned right. The organizers were also inquired about this patch of road's inclusion in this year's course, "but we never received an answer from them," Laerum shared.
"Do you now understand why it was so frustrating to watch the race today? Just shit. Crashes will always happen in the race, but we can still improve many things. The communication between the organizers and the riders, for example. Or the organizers themselves. There is chatter with each other, but nothing is really shared widely. We hope to be that missing megaphone."
The crash left consequences that few could've ever seen coming, towards this race, the Ardennes and perhaps the Tour de France itself. Jonas Vingegaard suffered a fractured collarbone, several fractured ribs, a punctured lung and pulmonary contusion. This will see him off the bike for a significant amount of time.
"An early indication of danger is what the riders want most and tell us most often," Laerum concludes. "We often try to solve this with arrows in LED light or even auditory signals. Many riders said today, for example, that the road surface was dangerous and uneven. Isn't it strange that this is not indicated? It is often difficult as an organization to change your course, but you can tell your riders yourself we can help by warning them, of course. These are small things, but hopefully they can have a big impact in the future."
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I saw a slow-motion video of this on a YouTube site (that YouTuber was trying to blame it on tubeless tires?). It really did seem to me that Remco and the rider behind him hit a bump just as they crossed the white center line. It looked a lot like the Chloe Dygert crash.
If you knew it is dangerous [section of the road], why don't you slow down? It makes no sense!
For sure. And the now infamous roubaix chicane will just create another dangerous situation before the forest. Riders will sprint hard and break hard to navigate it. Crazy. It won’t help.
Agreed
so the rider knew that section of road was dangerous, yet proceeded to ride it at a fast speed? and then places the blame on the race organizer???? no one makes him go that fast.
I think that’s a little easy to say so not sure you’ve ever raced yourself.
There’s a big difference between staying within your limits for a situation you know and being able to react or do something when others before you have created a situation you have no experience with.
Once guys in front of you start doing unexpected things like falling, you don’t have much choice but to do something you didn’t plan, like braking when you shouldn’t.
Try to think about things a bit further than a civil servant.
I’ve raced bikes, and one design sailboats. Both at a pretty high level.
Sometimes it’s fast to go slow.
Getting to the top mark of a race and capsizing a dinghy is a sure way to lose.
Likewise, staying upright is a great way to win a bike race sometimes.
And I still race gravel.
You know how you know when someone was out of their limits? They crash. Pro or amateur it’s all the same.
But thanks for the advice champ. You’re quite the public servant yourself with the lecture.
Stay upright and maybe you’ll pass me. But I doubt it.
Haha! 👏🏻
Your point?
You are responsible only for yourself, others have to consider everyone. I’m glad you have such a high opinion of your abilities but again it’s all you, you, you.
Maybe you’re still young then maybe I wouldn’t get passed, but I’d have no problem staying on your wheel. I’ve had my time and got my rewards, a TdF winner doesn’t thrust his TdF trophy in your hand for a group photo months after a challenge without a reason, be careful when you compare yourself with anonymous people you know nothing of.
And since you’ve raced bikes, you should really know that you don’t get to decide much in a large group, you either go with the flow or you hang out at the back where it’s safer but ruins your possibilities or grind yourself down at the front which is not a leaders’ role.
Many roads are tricky, with the right line you can pass through at full speed where other parts of the road force you to brake, a whole peleton is not organised enough to signal that through and so forcibly some will find themselves in the wrong place and create chaos, if no-one falls no-one speaks about it ever again, if one person falls, it’s near impossible others don’t as well.
Do you have a problem with trying to find more solutions to avoid things like this happening? Do you feel an effort was made here? This is not some local bike club organising for the local matadors.
Imagine this in F1, tennis, football, athletics, any idea what track/court organisers get as conditions to be allowed the honour to host the world’s elite?
what are you talking about???
the average speed in races today is an all time high.
Sean Kelly’s win was an average of 6 km/h slower.
Mathieu himself said the most dangerous thing about a race is the riders themselves.
the point is - the organizers can try to make it safer, but today’s riders race from KM 0 and go all in. riding downhill at these speeds in only lycra is inherently unsafe, and riders should know their skills, and the conditions. Jonas said he did a recon and knew it wasn’t safe. yet he went all out. no one is forcing them to go that fast. but we want speed - the attacks in today’s Roubaix were breathless. so with the extra speed = extra and worse crashes. riders will continue to push it beyond what might be safe, and this will continue to happen
Look, we all know you won’t be able to stop or limit riders without ridiculous rules (I note you made no suggestions how to deal with the problem).
Once everything has been done to improve safety, only rider attitude will remain and that will never get go away, the problem is far from everything has been done, sometimes even the BASICS don’t get done, so unless you have a good suggestion to keep riders going at a safe pace let’s focus on what can be done, especially if it’s just a matter of a bit of effort or will from a few people.
But just for the fun of it,
Neutralising races in dangerous sections.
Setting exclusive zones for allowing attacks
Banning drafting (triathlon survived it)
Banning use of certain cogs on downhills
Obligation to ride downhill 2 by 2
Drawing a racing lane to stay within
Banning pedalling downhill
I don’t know, I can’t come up with anything realistic.
F1 started a LONG time ago and they’ve never had a problem with drivers getting faster, they just adapt AROUND that and punish dangerous behaviour, speed is not dangerous in itself.
Now, normally when you report an obvious danger to people in charge you kind of expect them to do something, even symbolic about it which doesn’t seem to have been the case in the Basque Tour so, unless you think JV actually provoked the fall at the front taking those behind him out with him, stop helping those using him as a scapegoat for everyone’s contribution to what happened. Every rider was going at the same speed, dictated by the few in front who could most clearly see the best path to pick, for all the others it was basically pot (no pun I think) luck in this place but the organisers obviously thought there was no issue, it’s a RACE not a cyclosportive, there are always big risks in danger spots, how can any organiser dispute this and do absolutely nothing, especially after being warned of it?
Also these guys ride 30-40k a year all over the place without much time to enjoy the scenery or memorise routes perfectly, you expect them to remember every inch of tarmac everywhere they’ve once been? Pidcock did P-R 5y ago had no idea anymore how it would be yesterday, it’s not a F1 circuit you can test lap after lap.
Interesting