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news
Tom Boonen - Licenced under CC BY-SA 2.0 by Laurie Beylier on FlickrBoonen says MORE motorbikes at races would improve safety
Following the recent spate of collisions between cyclists and race motorbikes, Tom Boonen has suggested that it would actually be safer for riders if there were more vehicles involved in each race.
The Belgian’s point is that most collisions occur when motorbike riders are rushing to pass the peloton. Speaking to Het Nieuwsblad, he said that if there were more vehicles, there wouldn’t be quite the same pressure to get past.
He points out that passing the peloton need not be dangerous. “The problem is that it often must happen at an inappropriate time for the riders.”
Boonen believes that if there were already vehicles further up the road, there wouldn’t be such an urgent need to pass and overtaking could then perhaps be carried out more safely. “More vehicles would take away the time pressures for them,” he said.
The UCI is currently investigating the circumstances of the crash that left Lotto-Soudal’s Stig Broeckx in a coma and is also planning on updating safety rules relating to how race vehicles operate. As well as addressing the number of vehicles allowed and their positioning during races, the governing body said that the size and power of motorcycles was another issue it was considering.
Alex has written for more cricket publications than the rest of the road.cc team combined. Despite the apparent evidence of this picture, he doesn't especially like cake.
Latest Comments
- Jakrayan 36 min 49 sec ago
If you can't see that, in the event of a crash caused by a driver hitting and knocking over a cargo bike with a family on it there is a high...
- chrisonabike 48 min 36 sec ago
Such an exercise can be helpful, if you enjoy it in the right spirit. For example it's a fact that most places made the greatest improvements in...
- chrisonabike 1 hour 6 min ago
What if it was "Tommy Robinson" in disguise, trying to sneak back in and make a point?...
- OldRidgeback 1 hour 26 min ago
Hmm, it won't allow much seat post adjustment. And if there had been a more gentle curve rather than a massive stress concentration, then it'd make...
- Velo-drone 32 min 50 sec ago
I think that you deserve some opprobium for judging other people's lives without walking in their shoes...
- David9694 2 hours 1 min ago
yes - as I often reflect when I meet one out of my country lanes and their idea of courtesy is to stop, effectively blocking the road. "you're the...
- slc 3 hours 17 min ago
A couple of weeks before the overnight installation, I was suggesting to a friend that the council would have to give up or at least change plans...
- Geoff H 6 hours 38 min ago
None of the commenters below noted that NONE of the car pictured are going to "back out quickly"! Are those bollards solid steel posts? Or are they...
- ChrisA 11 hours 7 min ago
Just seems like a general lack of consideration; less regard for (what were) social norms - everything from rubbish to rubbish driving....
- mdavidford 11 hours 45 min ago
This is going to give cross people something else to hang their crossness on.
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15 comments
Ah, drones !
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xeviAWB0i4Y
Drones.
That is all.
Nailed it. This is the natural conclusion to all this.
Everything else is myopic.
Nailed it how?
It's not the camera bikes that are constantly racing past the riders. It's the 'marshall' bikes racing to get ahead so they can manage the rolling road closures etc.
He have good point about more vehicle, more cam placement, less necessary to pass riders&peloton and then its more safety.
Most accident happens by passing too close and too soon. When you get rid of necessary to pass them, they can ride safer and less worries about vehicle passing from behind.
I agreed with this idea.
He is better placed than me to make a judgement on this. If the riders have suggestions then it would be prudent to listen to them, seeing as they are the ones who suffer when things go wrong.
Yes like killer disc brakes, for example.
Agree with Grahamd.
It amuses me how some people think they know what's better for the peleton than the pros themselves!
Amuses me how irrational that was.
By your reasoning - a professional bike rider can talk utter bollocks and couldn't be challenged by anyone that isn't a professional bike rider.
Total nonense of course.
People in all fields should be challenged, at all times.
Silly me, you're quite right. What does Tom Boonen know about pro cycling anyway?
Really, that's where you're at with all this. Zzz
I resisted responding to the other thread on Van Garderen, where you're trying to be controversial and provoke a reaction. But I wonder, is your input just designed to wind people up? (in which case not 'trolling', but 'flaming' perhaps). Or are you a serious contributer who just comes across as a bit angry and rude?
I resisted responding to the other thread on Van Garderen, where you're trying to be controversial and provoke a reaction. But I wonder, is your input just designed to wind people up? (in which case not 'trolling', but 'flaming' perhaps). Or are you a serious contributer who just comes across as a bit angry and rude?[/quote]
On better run forums there is ability to get rid of tools like this. It requires a consensus to rid these parasites, but it can be done.
I try to approach forum input as if I am at the pub when I make any replies. You would soon know when you've stepped over the mark.
I'd suggest that some posters get out of their bedrooms and learn some social interaction skills (for instance at a pub) that would avoid the hate that they get.
"Comes across as"???
Should come work for Edinburgh council this guy. They share a love of solutions that make the situation worse.