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Cyclist of the Week: Danny van Poppel (+ video)

Team Sky sprinter pulls off an astonishing save at Tour de Suisse

A lot of you were so taken with the story last week of the novice cyclist who managed to join in with the bike leg of a triathlon by mistake, and kept pedalling for 21 kilometres that we’ve decided to launch a new feature – Cyclist of the Week – to recognise someone whose feats on two wheels have grabbed our attention in the past seven days.

> Novice cyclist mum swept up by Triathlon race rides 21 km route

For this week’s recipient, we head to the Tour de Suisse and Team Sky sprinter Danny van Poppel’s extraordinary save in the sprint at the end of Stage 4 with a superb display of bike handling, almost doing the splits to avoid crashing into the barriers as he comes off a bend.

For his troubles, the young Dutch rider was relegated to last place on the stage for dangerous sprinting – although many pointed out that 150 metres from the line is no place to have a 90 degree turn.

His fellow pros have overwhelmingly backed him, with riders’ association the CPA revealing today that 91 per cent of its members who responded to a poll on the issue believed that the design of the finish was dangerous.

Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.

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Yorkshie Whippet | 7 years ago
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I don't understand why it's dangerous!

He seems to carrying more speed than the guy in front aims to go up on the inside. Get's boxed in, takes avoiding action and doesn't hit anyone. 

If it was Motorsport he would have come off the brakes, t-bone the guy in front. Slammed them both against the outside barrier and blamed the other guy for turning in on him.

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dottigirl | 7 years ago
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Incredible save, but perhaps he shouldn't have been trying to go down the inside of Sagan in the first place?

Barguil did similar in the TDF, and sent G into a ravine.

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barbarus | 7 years ago
1 like

Agree with that, it's asking for trouble. Poppel's control is even more remarkable when watched at full speed.

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tritecommentbot | 7 years ago
2 likes

I love seeing a turn into a sprint, builds the anticipation.. but at that angle. Seriously. Daft. No-one wants to see that, it only serves to slow the pace and clearly as you can see is crash bait. 

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