Cycling: Richie Porte's fans can breathe easy! After his fall on the ninth stage, many spectators feared worse. According to initial forecasts, the Australian is not seriously injured.
Richie Porte's fall has no serious consequences
According to the first diagnosis, Richie Porte (BMC) had his horror fall on the ninth stage only suffered a concussion and a bruised pelvis. Neurological effects of the accident were not discovered. However, a magnetic resonance and computed tomography is still pending. Tour doctor Florence Pommerie told the press with confidence: "He was scared and wanted to know if anything was broken. He didn't want to move, but he also said he was okay. He looked fine to us.”
Fabio Baldato:"We are all sad. It is a pity. Richie has put a lot of work into the Tour de France since the beginning of the year: track inspections, training camps - we've done everything possible to get him on the podium here."
Update: Further investigations revealed that Richie Porte suffered a broken collarbone and pelvis. according to dr Max Testa, the BMC Team Chief Medical Officer, Richie Porte can get back on his bike in four weeks: "If everything goes according to plan, Richie will be able to cycle again by the beginning of August."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vKcoogApzpE
Daniel Martin criticizes the organizers
When Richie Porte slid across the street, Daniel Martin (Quick-Step Floors) couldn't dodge anymore. The Irishman also fell and lost just over a minute to the first group as a result. After the race, however, he didn't blame Richie Porte, but the organizers: "I think the organizers got what they wanted. I don't think anyone wanted to take any chances, but it was very slippery.”
Roadrunner says
Today I have to report because yesterday I followed the stage with a mixture of fascination and excitement. Of course on the climbs and especially on the descents. I was expecting a devastating crash any second and unfortunately I was right.
There lies Richie Port on the street and I read the headline "Richie Port only slightly injured" - including a photo that shows a very fine flesh wound and internal injuries suggest. Well - a clear mistake, because that's where the trivialization of pre-programmed accidents begins. This continues through the reporting in the ARD: "Anyone who can climb the mountains must also be able to drive them down."
To me, this shows the inability of those responsible to protect cyclists. Anyone who lays stages like this on purpose is playing with the life of the pros. There's no other way - if you want to win, you have to drive the last groove. And there will do the drivers. This is competition. That shouldn't surprise the organizers - just as I have to reckon with the fact that the track is wet on every descent.
Is there a solution? Sure - very simple: Take a look at other high-risk sports: In rallying, chicanes are built into high-speed sections to slow down the pace. That's exactly how it works here - costs almost nothing (except action). And you can arrange it in such a way that escort vehicles can also pass these places – you just have to want it.
Unfortunately, I hope in vain for the insight of the sporting management - after a visit to the exhibition "Mythos Tour de France" in the NRW-Forum Düsseldorf, which is well worth seeing, one has the impression that one thing runs through the history of the Tour: the lack of insight into the Responsibility of the organizers that they have to protect the athletes ("You are murderers.") I hope that they won't wake up until the first one doesn't get up from the asphalt again.
Sporty greetings
Roadrunner
Radl Rick says
Quite aptly formulated.
Similar discussions are known from motorsport. There, too, there are certain risks that cannot be avoided. That is also part of the fascination of the sport. However, such risks can be minimized so that the residual risk remains at an acceptable level. That didn't seem to work yesterday.
One suggestion that comes to mind would be signage ahead of curves. These are also known from motorsport. They contain information about the distance to the next corner, and even information about the character of a corner (arrows) when racing on the Isle of Man. I don't understand why there aren't such signs on such descents. What sense does it make to let the drivers rush into blind corners in already difficult conditions?
I was also worried yesterday that a driver could get stuck on parked vehicles. The tour lives from the fans and I would like to be there myself. But parking your camper at a chicane in a narrow wooded area doesn't have to be. Parking in such sections of a descent should generally be prohibited. Then, if necessary, a shuttle service is needed, but the passage of the tour is probably lucrative enough for the villages.
Best regards and to a primarily sporting course!