“The cries haunted me all day”: Cycling fans frustrated by “sadistic” TV coverage of Tour of Flanders crash; “I’d end up in a box”: No marathon for G; Will this appointment “completely reinvent what it feels like to wear Rapha”? + more on the live blog
SUMMARY
"The cries haunted me all day": Cycling fans frustrated by "sadistic" TV coverage of Tour of Flanders crash
We’re a few days on from the Ronde van Vlaanderen now and one of the big talking points remains the grim crash that hit the women’s race just before the Koppenberg. Marlen Reusser and Kim Le Court were the two highest-profile riders brought down, both suffering fractures in the pile-up which impacted many riders in the second half of the peloton.
Now, the discussion from some fans hasn’t been the crash itself or the now-familiar debates around what can be done to improve rider safety, but rather how such incidents are shown to us watching on at home.
The aftermath of Sunday’s crash was broadcast at length, including with audio from the scene. Unfortunately for fans watching the coverage, this meant hearing the pain and distress of the riders just seconds after they had been flung to the ground at high speeds.
It’s worth pointing out up front that specific broadcasters, e.g. TNT Sports here in the UK, often don’t have much, if any, control over the TV pictures that come from a host broadcaster or race organiser.
We’ve put this video in here to demonstrate exactly what we’re talking about. In this case, it was actually reshared on social media by Australian broadcaster SBS. It shows how the crash was broadcast live, including audio. Viewer discretion is advised as it’s a pretty grim watch. If you saw it live on Sunday, you may well want to skip to the next paragraph anyway…
Not what you want to see 😢
Kim Le Court-Pienaar fractured her wrist, while Marlen Reusser suffered a lower back injury in this awful pile-up at Tour of Flanders ❌
Wishing all riders involved a speedy recovery 🙏#RVV26 | SBS On Demand 📺 pic.twitter.com/CxDZFCdb8V
— SBS Sport (@SBSSportau) April 6, 2026
Commentator José Been’s unease in calling the aftermath of the crash with the sound of distressed riders clearly in pain sums up the point that broadcasters are often at the mercy of the pictures they’re given too. “We can hear the cries, really hard to listen to,” Been reacted.
“Oh, those cries, absolutely terrible […] what a terrible sight.”
The audio and prolonged pictures of injured riders was equally uncomfortable for those watching at home. There has since been plenty of discussion about how TV coverage could be improved to avoid similar scenes.
“I hate this. I feel like only non-cycling fans love crashes.”
“Yes, because as a cyclist you can empathise, we all had falls in the past. I cringe and almost feel the pain each time I see a bad crash, it’s terrible.”
“That was the first images I saw when I tuned in. The cries haunted me all day.”
“Yeah whoever was controlling the video feed did a terrible job. When the audience is mostly cyclists we don’t need to hear the screams of pain from a crash. Show the crash – sure. Then cut away or at least cut the audio and let the commentator talk about what happened.”
It’s, of course, not just an issue in cycling, someone else recalling legendary skier Lindsey Vonn’s recent crash at the Winter Olympics where pictures and audio were broadcast for an uncomfortably long period afterwards.
Oh, and as this is the internet, we’ve also got a meme for it:
Flanders Women broadcast was sadistic
by
u/pantaleonivo in
pelotonmemes
What do you think? Does cycling need to address the way crashes are broadcast?
Racing round-up: Del Toro crashes out on breakaway day in the Basque Country, Tim Merlier wins Scheldeprijs + Brit Vernon wins again
In the men’s race at Scheldeprijs, Tim Merlier took his first win of the season, putting in a typically dominant sprint performance for his third consecutive victory at the classic. All roads lead back to the Tour de France this summer for the Belgian who’s clearly not lost any of his ability over the winter.
Merlier masters Scheldeprijs AGAIN! 👏
Tim Merlier wins on just his second race day of the year — and it’s a third win in a row at Scheldeprijs 🔥 pic.twitter.com/x2X4jGWOfP
— Cycling on TNT Sports (@cyclingontnt) April 8, 2026
In form Dylan Groenewegen’s chances were ended by an unfortunate crash on the final lap, Merlier overcoming some testing positioning in the final to make it a Scheldeprijs hat-trick.
In the Basque Country, it was a breakaway day won by Ineos Grenadiers’ Axel Laurance, the Frenchman sprinting to the victory from a decent sized front group. Perhaps the biggest story of the day, however, was who didn’t make it to the finish, UAE Team Emirates rider Isaac del Toro crashing out. The Mexican’s Ardennes campaign and Tour de France debut may need some reassessment, fingers crossed there’s nothing too serious there.
And finally, British sprinter Ethan Vernon’s strong start to 2026 continued with a second win in as many days at Région Pays de la Loire Tour, his fourth of the season overall.
"It was a probably a daft idea we had... one night we were out drinking and came up with this stupid idea to cycle to Truro"
A hardy group of Carlisle United fans will be cycling to their side’s upcoming away game at Truro City, what has been billed as one of English football’s longest ever away days.
Back when Carlisle were in English Football League (the slightly odd singular term for England’s top four divisions), away trips to Plymouth were regarded the longest possible day out for any English football fan. Now, in the National League, Truro adds another 50 miles or so onto the monster away day.
One of the Truro or Bust crew, cycling to the away game to raise money for Cancer Research UK and the MND Association, admitted to ITV News it’s “probably a daft idea”.
It was also one first heard back at the pub last June when, fuelled by beverages, they “came up with this stupid idea to cycle to Truro”.
The 525-mile ride is expected to take the group seven days.
“It’s made even more difficult, by the fact that none of us are cyclists, we’re all just normal blokes and thought we’d give it a go,” another of the group said.
Lime rolls out more than 2,000 new e-bikes and e-scooters in the West Midlands
A quick follow-up to Lime taking over the contract for bike hire in the West Midlands, the company announcing more than 2,000 new e-bikes and e-scooters have gone live across the region.
Lime took over from Beryl and the firm has promised more will follow in Dudley, Sandwell, Walsall and Wolverhampton at the start of June.
Tom Newham, from Lime, said the West Midlands will be the first UK region to have the full fleet, including the new Gen4 e-bike [pictured above].
Mother of god...
When road.cc Jo tells you he’s found the best ninja star jockey wheel, it’s worth sitting up and taking notice. Boy did it deliver. This one’s from Portugal where the DPX Racing folks couldn’t believe what they were seeing either. It’s a belter…
Let the afternoon's racing commence! Charlotte Kool sprints to Scheldeprijs win
Loads of racing from Belgium and the Basque Country to round up this afternoon. First to finish was the women’s edition of Scheldeprijs, the sprinter’s classic. If at first you don’t succeed, try again, and again, and again, and again, and again… Charlotte Kool having finished 10th at this race twice, before three consecutive second-place finishes in the past three editions. That’ll be a particularly sweet victory.
WHAT A SPRINT! 🔥
Charlotte Kool and Fenix–Premier Tech play their sprint to perfection to take the win at Scheldeprijs 👏 pic.twitter.com/EJCYAs9ssz
— Cycling on TNT Sports (@cyclingontnt) April 8, 2026
Last year’s winner Elisa Balsamo was third, the second step of the podium taken up by Nienke Veenhoven. Today’s TV picture-related controversy wasn’t coverage of a crash, but this…
“The motorbike was asleep!” 😳
Barbara Guarischi tries to make a move at Scheldeprijs but is held up by a motorbike! pic.twitter.com/07Epaea7mx
— Cycling on TNT Sports (@cyclingontnt) April 8, 2026
"We do everything for safety, and then things like this happen... we haven’t received a single apology": Soudal Quick-Step anger after Mikel Landa hit by driver of race doctor's car
While we’re talking about crashes, can you believe what happened to Mikel Landa yesterday? Given pro cycling’s record, you probably can… but even by cycling’s often bizarre standards, getting hit by the driver of the race doctor’s car is a cruelly surreal one to add to the list.
La mala suerte se sigue cebando con Mikel Landa.#itzulia2026 pic.twitter.com/JGZuF6qHcO
— Eurosport.es (@Eurosport_ES) April 7, 2026
This morning, Soudal Quick-Step confirmed Landa did not suffer any fractures or long-term injuries, but has withdrawn from Itzulia Basque Country.
Team boss Jurgen Foré, it’s needless to say, is not happy with what happened yesterday and told Het Nieuwsblad this morning they still haven’t even received an apology. It is understood the driver of the doctor’s car has been removed from the race.
“We haven’t received a single apology,” an upset Foré said. “He was 10 seconds behind the group ahead… What is a doctor supposed to do to catch up with riders then? It is sometimes infuriating!
“We do everything for safety, and then things like this happen. As a team, you are left with nothing, but you still take the brunt of it.”
The Mercian tandem Greg James rode 1,000km for Comic Relief to be displayed in Derby museum
You can go check out Greg James’ tandem from his Comic Relief epic while it’s on display at Derby Museums’ Museum of Making, a fitting location for a local-made Mercian machine. It’s to be auctioned off at some point in the future (the bike, that is, not the museum) so go check it out while you can.
Or just read our feature if Derby’s a bit far to justify for some tandem spotting…
“Stressful but also uplifting”: Ultra-cyclist’s bike returned to her days after it was reported stolen from Leeds petrol station
Some good news for a Wednesday morning…
"I'd end up in a box": Geraint Thomas pulls out of the London Marathon
View this post on Instagram
Anyone hoping to watch G recreate Chris Froome’s famous Ventoux run around the streets of London at the marathon later this month will sadly now have to wait for next year.
The new Ineos Grenadiers director of racing had been down to give the run a go but has seen an injury halt his progress.
“I just can’t run, I have had two weeks off with this little injury niggle and I tried on Saturday,” he explained on his Watts Occurring podcast.
“I just couldn’t run, I was just like hobbling and it felt horrible. I did 15km, I could get around a marathon but I would end up in a box and not be able to walk for a bit.”
Will this appointment "completely reinvent what it feels like to wear Rapha"?
Rapha has appointed Scott Mellin to its board of directors. Mellin’s background is in outdoor and performance sports and he comes onboard at the iconic British cycling clothing brand following three decades with names including The North Face and Salomon.
Rapha tells us Mellin’s experience “shaping brand identity across material innovation, sustainability, cultural marketing, and luxury positioning makes him a natural fit for the board as the company looks to its next phase”.
Mellin added that he is joining “in a period of transformation”, but one where Rapha is “increasingly confident and starting to innovate at speed”.
“I hope to act as a kind of catalyst for those changes, so that the next few years completely reinvent what it feels like to wear Rapha. I am honoured to be joining the brand in this new era,” he said.
One big project at Rapha is the partnership with USA Cycling to provide the kit for the US Olympic and Paralympic cycling teams at Los Angeles 2028.
The new Vado 3 e-bike with built-in Garmin Varia Radar is “more than the greatest e-bike we’ve ever created”, boasts Specialized
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@Bungle_52 The Met told me a couple of years ago when rejecting a submission that they needed a clear three seconds of red visible before they would consider it for an RLJ prosecution. I pointed out to them that this meant that at 30 mph a driver could see a light change to red from 40 metres away and still get through without sanction, or 55 m if they accelerated to 40 as most do. They just replied "them's our rules..."
@Ben Graham I have just checked the footage from my report. The driver crosses the 1st stop line 4 seconds after the light turns red. All on camera from behind the vehicle. No further action. So I assume the margin is at least 4 seconds.
Oh, and active travel funding per head (in England at least) is laughable compared to other places. Plus it is delivered intermittently. It's more like a Blue Peter contest...
Yup, I see those opportunities being missed all the time in Edinburgh. When it gets really bad, dig it all up and put it back down again how it was. Contrast with what seems to happen in NL - when things are dug up the whole thing seems to get a "let's redo this according to the current standards" treatment. They even coordinate with the utilities, so that after a refurb the street isn't immediately dug up again because of leaking pipes / we suddenly realised the new estate being planned for round the corner will want broadband etc. Pros and cons of course - you may wait longer there for changes as smaller changes may be deferred until a major redo is due. (Though in the UK case you likely wouldn't get them at all...) It seems we "can't have nice things" in the UK in part because a) we have greater motor traffic speeds/volumes spead across "streets" / within urban areas b) the funding and organisational responsibility differs. Are we in the "Sam Vimes boots" territory (being too poor to afford better products which not only save money over time but actually work)? There is long term money pressure on LAs and it seems that due to poor construction and maintenance we have to regularly pour money into (pot-)holes in the road. And it seems there's no budget to check up on or enforce adequate standards from utilities work or even private building.
Shame about the world champs defence. Speedy recovery. https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2026/aug/30/tadej-pogacar-vuelta-a-espana-cycling-crash-hospital-stage-nine
I believe the accepted form for this kind of argument is "I know you are, you said you were, but what am I?".
Also the ability for drivers to see things is far worse as it's significantly obstructed by the frame of the vehicle.
So in your analogy I am the charming, caring creature that saves other animals through heroic actions and ends up as the new Prince of the Forest, whilst you are an horrific prehistoric lizard activated by pollution that blunders through civilisation smashing it in pieces by belching out yet more toxic pollution. Okay, seems fair.
@GravelIsNothingNew Yup - had a similar bag from Giant a few months back. It undid from the top velcro fastening, but remained attached around the ISP on a TCR. Resulted in a costly repair job to the ISP.
21 thoughts on ““The cries haunted me all day”: Cycling fans frustrated by “sadistic” TV coverage of Tour of Flanders crash; “I’d end up in a box”: No marathon for G; Will this appointment “completely reinvent what it feels like to wear Rapha”? + more on the live blog”
My first instinct is to say absolutely they shouldn’t show this, but then part of me also thinks that maybe it’s good for us as fans to be reminded just what risks these women and men take for our entertainment every time they go to the start line. I don’t doubt that when people say we must respect the rider’s privacy by not showing them in agony they are being sincere, but is there an element also of not wanting to acknowledge that there is a price, sometimes a heavy one, sometimes the ultimate one, to be paid for their livelihood and our viewing pleasure?
I don’t think Road CC has any defence for posting it again other than saying viewing is optional.
I’m pretty sure viewing is always optional. At least, they’ve never sent anyone round after me with a D-lock when I’ve skipped over anything. So far…
The aftermath of a crash shouldn’t be shown, we have all experienced the shock and pain of a crash and know the risks involved in cycling.
I even feel uneasy at the dismissive description “just a little road rash”.
Check this out – a bell that is designed to be heard through noise cancelling headphones: https://www.skoda-storyboard.com/en/skoda-world/skoda-duobell-a-bicycle-bell-that-outsmarts-even-smart-headphones/
Hmm – whatever the merits of the bell itself, their underlying premise that ‘54% of headphones have ANC, leading to a 24% rise in cyclist-pedestrian collisions’ is seriously suspect. There couldn’t possibly be any other factors at play, could there?
And the claim that being heard up to 22m and 5s earlier is “the difference between stepping aside and a serious collision” – well, only if the cyclist has never heard of br(e)ak(e)s – otherwise it’s just the difference between (maybe) stepping aside and a bit of minor frustration for the cyclist.
And all of this is just a bit of a sticking plaster for the problem of cyclists and pedestrians being forced into the same spaces in the first place – maybe if Skoda could convince drivers to give up a bit more space to other modes of travel, there wouldn’t be much of a problem to ‘solve’ to start with.
Betteridge’s law of headlines states: “Any headline that ends in a question mark can be answered by the word no.”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Betteridge%27s_law_of_headlines
I would have thought Mellin’s overriding priority – not mentioned in the guff reported by Road CC – is to help Rapha turn a profit for the first time ever.
And it is cases like this that make us wonder who’s side the law is on, when it can’t deal with multiple offending…
It also sets a bad example to others who see it and don’t worry about the consequences of dangerous driving.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c4gjp7xwjyzo
I can understand the editorialist draw of appealing to the voyeurism of showing crash footage, but I don’t want to see it. I certainly don’t agree with the practice when there are serious injuries involved.
If a compromise has to be made, the media recording company should at least hold back the footage from the broadcast feed until the status of riders is confirmed. A single rider sliding out on a wet corner, gets up and kicks the bike, fine, show it. A multi rider crash with people screaming out in agony; acknowledge it happened and cut away, report back when more information is available.
“shaping brand identity across material innovation, sustainability, cultural marketing, and luxury positioning makes him a natural fit for the board as the company looks to its next phase”.
Sadly, it seems we’ve gone from moody black and white imagery of whippet thin men with high cheekbones (post-winter ride) all sitting in European bath tubs, shaving their legs and surrounded by merino wool vests – to the above quote.
“When I was a kid we had no sonic branding. If you asked for sonic branding you got a clip round the ear. I don’t care who you are”
Nick Jowett
Head of Contracts
Erm – has someone been in denial since 1992?
Pro cycling broadcasted live on TV is a show that attracts large audiences and generates fat advertising revenues. This is a business that sometimes
includes cries and swearing, broken bones and blood.
Showing injured racers in agony is an editorial choice made by the TV channel. The TV viewer has the freedom to watch the show, mute the sound, change channel or switch off their tellie. One can’t blame others when they don’t make their own decisions.
Sorry, it’s simply not good enough for TNT to wash their hands of such distressing moments in these races, by glibly stating “blame the host broadcaster”. First off, I even wonder whether they have a proper sound mixer these days, such is the frequent disparity in commentators’ voice levels. I suspect they are simply added to the raw audio feed by an automixer. I worked at the BBC for 40 years, I did some live event mixing, and you are responsible for everything which passes through your faders. Example: John McEnroe kicked off on Centre Court, you’d go to another mic to avoid his expletives (yes, I’m really that old). TNT could easily have a loop of general atmosphere to fade across to. Regarding pictures, I believe TNT have access to feeds of the individual cameras on big events, they even allow subscribers to have their own split-screen at home which proves that. So pay a bloody vision mixer £400 for the day to go back to the wideshot in such cases!
Bearing in mind TNT are rinsing Cycling fans dry, charging you £31/mth to watch the Cycling EVEN WITH AD BREAKS, they are certainly stinking rich enough to have a little more consideration for the mugs who make them rich.
Thank God I get TNT as part of my Virgin package (which I get at half-price because every two years I haggle hard with them) because there’s no way I’d be paying HBO Max over 30 notes a month. And they know full well Cycling fans watch very few other sports.
So next time you hear Orla banging on about “home of Cycling” in the studio wearing a ludicrous pair of hotpants, realise just how much you’re being shafted.
Rant over.
I think the multiscreen option is only available for Grand Tours, but you’re right in general that there are plenty of options if they really want to avoid having to show things from the host broadcaster they don’t like – I assume a simple thirty-second delay to cut the feed if there’s anything untoward would do it?
Lay off Orla though, she’s great and why can’t she wear what she wants?!
Last time I checked, I think I’m allowed an opinion. I actually think Orla is a brilliant presenter in terms of her love of Cycling, her “outsider’s” take on the tactics and her skill in coordinating and involving the pundits in discussion and debate. She does the actual job really well.
I also think what she wears is frequently distracting, and she does it on purpose to assert her femininity, as she sees it. She’s said as much in interviews. If you’re presenting a show about Cycling, that’s what you should be doing. And no, it’s not “because she’s a woman” or any of the other “misogyny” claptrap which so readily gets bandied about these days. Gaby Yorath is a case in point, she’s also a great presenter, but doesn’t feel the need to wear distracting clothing. And if it were a bloke presenting I wouldn’t want him wearing distracting clothing either.
Everyone on the show wears whatever they please, and quite right too. Adam Blythe (another excellent presenter) sometimes wears clothes that I find ludicrous but it doesn’t distract me from what he’s saying. Matt Stephens (also great) frequently pitches up looking like he’s slept in a skip outside the studio. You’re not complaining about them though, are you? It clearly is because she’s a woman and you are seeking to impose a dress code upon her that suits your concept of how a woman should dress. She’s not presenting the 9 o’clock news or a state funeral for goodness sake and if someone gets “distracted” by her clothing that’s their problem.
Last time I checked, what you think wasn’t the determining factor in the way the world works.
In the non-solipsistic world, you are allowed an opinion. And everyone else is allowed to criticise you for it. So what exactly was your point?
I worked in outside broadcast for 20 years too. I wasn’t a vision mixer or a sound mixer but I know that it was very easy for the director to cut away from the host broadcaster.
I remember one year at the Monaco Grand Prix, during the warm up or something equally boring, the host broadcaster was sending us lots of shots of scantily clad women standing on balconies or sat in cafes. Needless to say, our director took those out 😉
I can’t see see what the fury is about this women’s tour of flanders crash, ize on a ride once and some guy, who’d been pushing himself all ride on the chainy I was on all eve basically keeled over at speed against a whole line of riders, eventually feel and the noise, out of him was anxiety inducing.. tho we got him an ambulance so I’m all honesty this women’s crash was on TV with support right there, we had to wait on the ambulance 🤷
You want to take some water with it squire.