Cycling: About the Fall of Mark Cavendish (Dimension Data) on the fourth stage the Tour de France is hotly debated on social media. Now the tour organization has announced a decision: Peter Sagan (Bora-hansgrohe) is held responsible for the accident and excluded from the 2017 Tour de France!
Peter Sagan is disqualified
The world champion is severely punished by the organization of the Tour de France. Peter Sagan has to leave the Tour of France. He is solely blamed for the downfall of Mark Cavendish. Is this punishment fair? Opinions differ greatly, even among former professionals. While Alessandro Petacchi spoke on Italian television about it being been nothing Rolf Aldag demanded that Peter Sagan be excluded from the tour. Due to the wide variety of statements made by professionals and fans, the question arises as to whether the jury can make a clear, unambiguous and fair decision at all in such an incident.
In comparison: The sprints of Arnaud Démare and Peter Sagan
This can be doubted just by looking at today's sprint. The bird's-eye view gives us an excellent view of the lines of travel of the professionals involved. Every small wave is recognizable - unless a tree is in the way of the view. In the video we can see from second four that the day's winner Arnaud Démare (FDJ) moves from the far right to the left and cuts his intimate enemy Nacer Bouhanni (Cofidis). Nacer Bouhanni gets completely out of step and almost falls. Arnaud Démare continues to pull through and confidently wins the fourth stage of the Tour de France. At the same time, Mark Cavendish fell on the right side of the road. At first glance, the TV pictures looked as if Peter Sagan had elbowed his opponent against the rails. On closer inspection, at least this assertion must be doubted.
Mark Cavendish vs. Peter Sagan: Rear-end collision or elbow check?
In many other videos with different camera perspectives, it can be seen that Arnaud Démare very clearly rode an extreme wave. Peter Sagan and Mark Cavendish have barely left their line by comparison. Sagan was already driving extremely far to the right when Cavendish tried to slip between the World Champion and the gang. Due to the slipstream, the Briton was actually a little faster, so he was getting closer and closer to Sagan. Finally, the upper bodies touched. However, none of the camera shots show that Sagan's elbow has touched Cavendish. Rather, the offset upper bodies touched, which is why both drivers lost their balance a bit. Sagan then pushed his elbow out. At that moment, however, Cavendish's fall was already in full swing.
Who is guilty? What is generally allowed in a sprint?
The question of guilt in this incident is extremely difficult to clarify. It is clear that in a mass sprint no wave is allowed to cut the opponent. Accordingly, Arnaud Démare's sprint would not have been okay. At the same time, however, it is also the case that no door may be closed to the opponent. Peter Sagan is accused of not giving Cavendish enough space. However, since the world champion could not count on Cavendish on the right side, an intention is not recognizable. Mark Cavendish himself has to ask himself once again whether he is doing himself a favor by repeatedly poking into the smallest and most dangerous gaps. Right from the start of his overtaking manoeuvre, there wasn't enough room to overtake because the entire group was constantly moving to the right. Peter Sagan is not obligated to open a door, he just can't slam it shut. A closer look at the pictures could therefore lead to the conclusion that it is a typical racing accident. A clear assignment of blame seems almost impossible - and an expulsion is even a scandal.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iMSRbpOLIAk&feature=youtu.be&app=desktop
water carrier says
Very nice analysis.
Raym says
Very good analysis!
I don't think the exclusion is correct either
barbeque says
Good analysis. Respect!!!!!
Hopefully understandable for non-racers too.
Alexander Bart says
As a racing bike layman, I'm seeing the Tour for the first time in years. At first I also thought that Sagan was using a lot of elbows unnecessarily (and therefore unsportsmanlike), although Cavendish is obviously driving into a hopeless position. After the apt analysis and my subsequent repeated study of the TV images, I absolutely agree with Michael Behringer.
Disqualifying a World Champion so hastily is nothing less than a scandal!
It's a shame that the Tour has robbed itself of one of the most spectacular and charismatic riders with this hasty action.
Katarina Grznarikova says
Very good whole analysis - if that helps Peter Sagan
Eric says
The 'accident' started even before the elbow went out. It happened, but not through the elbow on purpose.
Richard says
Very good and detailed analysis. Respect!!!!
An exclusion of Peter Sagen is justified in the smallest way!!!
Bernd Herrmann says
Rolf Aldag should be very quiet when he thinks about his past.
The accident is very well analyzed here and the exclusion is completely unacceptable!
The Tour loses a Zuscher magnet with Sagan.
This will definitely affect the ratings negatively.
Roadrunner says
I can only partially agree with Demare's analysis of the sprint. A gap opened up and he took advantage of it. I think it's an exaggeration that Bouhanni almost falls. The whole thing has nothing to do with Sagan.
I immediately took it live for an elbow check before even the ARD reporter said anything. Especially the helicopter perspective clearly shows that Sagan is not in a fluid movement, but moves his body to the right - and then the elbow comes towards Cavendish, who was simply faster.
And: it was completely unnecessary to riot like that - for Sagan the stage was over at this point anyway.
And one thing is quite clear - the commissioners have allowed themselves enough time for their decision. They don't just let one of the tour's driving forces go.
Bernhard says
Honestly, the fall begins before the elbow check!???? Clearly he was elbowed to the outside and that's why he fell. ,He leaned his head against him for my sake, but that would not have caused him to fall. With cav already falling down, he got the impulse through his elbow a long time ago. Something unsportsmanlike should definitely be punished.
Michael Behringer says
@Roadrunner:
You are right that Démare takes advantage of an open gap when he changes lines to the left. Nevertheless, he cuts Nacer Bouhanni extremely. Bouhanni almost fell here, as did André Greipel a second earlier in the scene. At such high speeds, the slightest touch can lead to a fall.
It's also true that Sagan is moving to the right, but he does so after Mark Cavendish tries to push through a gap that doesn't exist here anymore. That's why I wrote about a rear-end collision in my article, because Sagan didn't push Cavendish away with his elbow, but Cavendish leaned his head and upper body on Sagan. It goes without saying that he then has to press against it to keep his balance.
It's actually completely unnecessary to riot like that, but from my point of view Cavendish rioted. He drove at a higher speed into a non-existent gap. He bumped into Sagan. Ultimately, I'm very sorry for Cavendish that he fell, but in the end he caused that fall himself. I don't want to speculate as to why the Commissioners made this decision. After an intensive viewing of the pictures, they should actually withdraw their decision.
Roadrunner says
Thank you for your answer.
With some distance I am still of the opinion this morning that such super slow motion and still images are unsuitable for clarifying the situation, as they take the dynamic out of what is happening. However, multiple perspectives are helpful.
I'm amazed that Andre Greipel has put his view of things into perspective - he actually didn't say anything about the controversial scene. In the interview, he basically said that Sagan somehow often “gets into a ruckus”. But now I have to acknowledge that the boys actually count it as an occupational hazard.
Sporty greetings
Roadrunner
emmental says
Road racer, I represent exactly your opinion, also regarding it. Demare.
Katrin says
I can only agree - very good presentation of the situation and respect for it!!! This is about a sprint for victory; Pure adrenaline... you can't assume Sagan had any intention and that becomes obvious when you see the pictures from above... a disqualification is unjustified for me. Actually, how many times is Cavendish disqualified for causing falls?!
Philip says
That is exactly my opinion. I wish the tour jury would read your article. Most importantly, this penalty bears no relation at all to past penalties for similarly caused accidents. Paradoxically, it's Mark Cavendish himself who should have been disfellowshipped from almost every Tour de France to date given that penalty!
Mike says
If Cavendish had had Demare's rear wheel, everything would have been clear. Everything else is computer cycling with umpteen repetitions for race stewards. Finally Cav got caught too. You dear professionals think of your health.
BN says
great article! If the jury had half the cycling savvy and put in half the effort as the author, we wouldn't have a scandal now
jocen says
WRONG JUDGMENT
Cavendish, the modern-day Abduschaparow, still hasn't understood that you can't just stick it in everywhere (see tour start 2014 in England !!! ! ) —
if Sagan hadn't reacted the way he did he would have been thrown out by Cavendish! ! !
Alfred Grudszus says
What else can I say: Michael Behringer was essentially right and analyzed the situation correctly. As a long-time active cyclist, I might be able to help clarify the “elbow check” a bit: When Cav drove “into” Sagan with his shoulder and head, Sagan sat very stably on the bike and the two didn’t “lean on each other” as usual on”, which stabilizes both for a split second and allows them to separate again. Instead, Cavendish "bounced off" and was unable to avoid the fall from that moment - possibly because, like Sagan at Paris-Roubaix, he drove onto a foot of the barrier.
Sagan lost his balance for a moment due to the sudden lack of "counterforce" to his right and made the typical movement - arm out to the right, knee to the left - that you make when you can't correct it with a steering movement. You do the same "contortion" when you get too close to a dirt road boundary.
Thomas W says
Dear Mr. Behringer!
Thank you for your analysis. Now it offers a wonderful example of perceptual psychology, especially in comparison to contributions in other media, plus the hateful comments there - must be so on the Internet - against Peter Sagan. I consider the somewhat freaky PS to be a great cyclist, representative of cycling, comparable only to Mario Cipollini. His performance speaks for itself, and he is probably the pro with the best bike control. I myself did cycling from 1968-2014, was actually a fairly successful youth cyclist, also with sprint victories. So I kind of know what's going on there, I've been following the tour for well over 50 years.
Nevertheless, the jury is not made up of blind people and certainly did not take its decision to disqualify PS lightly. Taking out a reigning double world champion, five-time green jersey winner takes courage. I studied a lot of picture sequences this evening and I have to say: in case of doubt for the accused. But I had no doubts. That's my opinion with a certain knowledge of the matter, but maybe I'm wrong. PS is a great role model for many young drivers - or at least it should be. And even a superstar shouldn't be allowed to get away with everything, the offspring should learn that too. Maybe that's why an example was made of PS, so he might also be a little "victim" of his fame. A Mark Renshaw was also disqualified in a similar situation in 2010, maybe the same law applies to everyone.
Mark Cavendish, next to Degenkolb, was really the victim in this situation, I think. Putting blame on him in this case is like blaming a soccer player who has just had his tibia and fibula bruised for being too close to an opponent. I've also often thought that Cavandish got off particularly badly with German commentators because he had once again thwarted victories by Greipel, Kittel and Co. Images and commentary often presented a striking discrepancy to me when Cavendish was victorious. Leading comments, alternative facts. Yes, well, I like the guy, far more than Marcel Kittel, for example. But I also like hp, I have never made my sympathy or even admiration for a driver dependent on their nationality. And Arnaud Démare's driving maneuver really has absolutely nothing to do with what PS/Cavendish/Degenkolb were doing further back.
StefanZ says
Totally agree with Thomas W.'s opinion, I'm not a professional cyclist, but I would take the nerve from what I've ridden myself to say that the so-called 'elbow check', where it was visible, is no longer there was relevant to the departure.
Peter Sagan moved 50m to the right beforehand, Cavendish took a risk and pushed into the gap, but it was definitely there.
He won't tell us why Sagan drove even further to the right, but Cavendish was almost on the same level (50cm?), so he 'gets' it. Cavendish's leaning wasn't a fight, it was due to the realization that Sagan was constantly moving to the right and that would no longer be enough.
I would think that Sagan noticed that someone was trying to pass to the right and therefore widened a little or pulled further to the right, but that's no longer OK
Michael Fisher says
I can only agree with the analysis. In the past, too, Cav has often irresponsibly cleared his way with headbutts. So also here with a trigger of the fall.
What also puzzles me, regardless of the videos and photos, is Peter Sagan's apparent guilt - at least that's how I interpret his immediate apology on the Data team bus.
Ergo: distancing and time penalty would be ok - exclusion covered.
Udo G says
Top detailed analysis. chapeau!!!!
Does Sagan help? Cavendish isn't exactly a saint either, without PS the tour is only half as interesting.
Christian S says
The disqualification is absolutely correct. You can talk about a lot, but downplaying the elbow thing is not enough. Cavendish has not complained about Sagan's driving, he knows why, he still has to speak his words about the elbow action and the announcement about it among friends, but also speaks volumes.
No matter how strong or weak the touch was, no one can call it normal. For me, that was the absolute intention at the moment and it has to be stopped.
And I say that reluctantly as a huge fan of Peter Sagan and Bora. Sagan has overdrawn and has to get out of the tour, otherwise at some point, if something like this continues to take on a life of its own, we'll see more deaths after overly hard fouls on the home stretch.
A tour ban is tough on Sagan, but has just the right amount of chilling effect. Unfortunately, he attributed this to himself and provoked it, it was only a matter of time before he was as unscrupulous as he drives in general.
I hope you stick to the verdict, it is by no means a scandal!!!
Andrew D says
I agree almost entirely, only I don't think any driver drove overly aggressively here. The gap was definitely too small, of course the elbow goes out when someone leans against it, all in all an ugly racing accident, but sprinters drive at the limit.
Christian Z says
Sagan cannot be assumed to have any intention. Cavendish has also come very close to Sagan. It's just a target sprint. Sagan also had to balance himself.
Tobi says
Mr Behringer – RESPECT! This is a sober and, above all, factual analysis.
Sagan is probably more of a victim than a perpetrator here.
With the nice Mr. Cavendish one should appeal to his common sense. This guy drives recklessly and always at the expense of other drivers. I'm sorry he fell and hurt himself; the fact that this means the end of the tour for him is more than fair and a receipt for the driving style he has shown for years. And about this Mr. Aldag ... I'd better not say anything now.
But one thing is clear, the driver of one of the main outfitters of the tour and at the same time team sponsor (Dimension-Data) is of course always right. Of course, money also rules the cycling world.
Anyway, for me the tour is over at this point.
Robert Obermaier says
I saw the sprint yesterday on TV and initially thought that PS had sent the Cav into the gang.... Now that I've read Mr. Behringer's article and seen more photos, I'm of the opinion that PS's exclusion from the tour was a wrong decision or too hard a decision!
Seb says
Sagan's elbow only goes out anyway because Cavendish had threaded the handlebars under his arm and was already pulling his arm with it. So Sagan would have had the choice of releasing his hand and dismounting himself or just doing the evasive arm/elbow movement like he did. Point!
Ulrich Braun says
The situation is complicated and I doubt that 'guilt' can be clearly established. I'm also more cautious today than I was last night when it comes to possible intent or accepting the risk of seriously injuring a competitor, which is punishable by law. When assessing Peter Sagan's driving style, there are incriminating and exculpatory points of view. As far as his alleged elbow check is concerned, as has been correctly observed and argued here, it is probably not the cause of the fall and probably not meant as an aggressive action at all, but rather part of a balancing movement in order not to fall himself. However, if you watch the scene from a bird's-eye view, you can see that Mark Cavendish is driving in a line behind Démare, then (almost simultaneously) Peter Sagan switches from right to left in Démare's driving line and Démare pulls to the left at the same moment. Since Mark Cavendish is not directly on Démare's rear wheel, but there is a small gap of about half a meter, Peter Sagan might have thought for a tiny moment that he could hang on to Démare's rear wheel. That was a mistake, however, because Cavendish followed on the line – and at a speed faster than Peter Sagan. The accusation against Mark Cavendish that he stuck in a gap that wasn't there anymore can't really be held up either. Because if Démare first pulls through on the right flank, Mark Cavendish must be able to count on being able to follow his line. It's not okay for Peter Sagan to shove himself into it. Sagan's intention was probably not just brutal either. According to his impression, which was just created in a fraction of a second, there was the possibility of following Démare. Once he had ridden the wave to the right, the accident could no longer be averted. The fact that his elbow went out in the process made it look even meaner. However, the elbow movement was not the cause of the fall, but a consequence of the course of the accident. The lane change in the line of Démare and Cavendish was the trigger from this point of view. Whether the penalty is appropriate even if the charge of intent is dropped is another question. The punishment is not completely unfounded, just very, very hard.
Christian S says
After a bit of boiling off of emotions, I would also row back a bit, but I would also agree with Mr. Braun. The analysis doesn't do justice to the dynamics and it doesn't do justice to the way Peter Sagan was on that tour either.
First of all, Peter Sagan is a great sportsman and guy, which he shows with his departure. But he is also an extreme go-getter who takes risks that few others take. And if you look at his driving style, then on this tour he was, to put it nicely, very overambitious, overmotivated and correspondingly daring to unscrupulous.
This also weighs in when one has to decide guilty or innocent with little clarity. Apparently, but I haven't been able to check this yet, the race stewards also put Sagan on the slip as responsible or jointly responsible for the fall a few kilometers before the finish line and therefore tightened the original penalty again. That hint just came live on ONE.
Maybe there is someone here who has the time to check it out 😉
Hans says
Don't mix two things up here: Sagan caused the accident. He pushed Cavendish away from the back wheel of Bouhannis, I think that was it, and after that there was only the gang for Cavendish. Can and should be punished.
But what is alleged of him is that he did it with a willfulness that goes far beyond the "normal" slashing and stabbing while sprinting. And that just wasn't there. Elbows or not, being excluded from the tour is an extremely strange decision.
I would be interested in how it came about and who is doing politics with/against whom.
hobby driver says
For me, the jury's decision was correct.
By not accepting this verdict, Sagan and his team show even more that there is no sympathy for the injured Marc Cavedish. I am disappointed in this attitude!
Instead of attacking the jury, you should rethink. Every driver should start driving fairer.
The jury made a mark and that's tough for Sagan. But for Cavendish, who certainly has a small complicity, it's even tougher.
Everyone should drive more fairly!
I don't want to see bumping and elbowing!