Live blog: Michael Woods dedicates Vuelta stage win to stillborn son, law firm says cycle safety review means more cash for infrastructure + more

What is this AI vomit meant to have to do with either the story, or your question about why so many crashes occur?

That sounds like a great commercial gimmick that doesn't solve the core issue - why is there so many crashes in the pro peloton? Hereunder info was put together by Leo, Brave's AI agent: Top 5 Most Frequent Injuries in Pro Cyclists (Post-Crash) Based on the most comprehensive data available from professional road cycling studies (including the 2024 "Beyond the Finish Line" study and meta-analyses of IOC consensus data), the top injuries sustained after a crash are: 1. Abrasions and Lacerations (Soft Tissue Injuries) Abrasions are consistently cited as the most common injury type in professional cycling crashes. While often less severe than fractures, they occur with the highest frequency due to the nature of sliding on asphalt. Context: These frequently affect the limbs (arms and legs) and torso. In high-speed crashes, these can become severe degloving injuries requiring surgery, but minor road rash is ubiquitous. 2. Fractures (Upper Extremity) Fractures are the most burdensome injury (leading to the most time lost) and the second most frequent major trauma. Specifics: The clavicle (collarbone) is the single most frequently fractured bone in pro cycling, followed by fractures of the wrist/scaphoid, forearm (radius/ulna), and shoulder blade (scapula). Gender Note: Data indicates females are significantly more likely to sustain wrist fractures in crashes compared to males. One study noted females are 3x more likely to sustain a wrist fracture. 3. Contusions and Bruising Deep tissue contusions are highly frequent, often accompanying fractures or occurring independently from impact with the ground, bike, or other riders. Location: Common on the hips, thighs, and shoulders. These are often underreported in general databases but are a primary complaint in team medical logs. 4. Head and Neck Trauma (Concussions) While less frequent than abrasions, cranial trauma (including concussions) is a critical category. Trend: Despite helmet use, concussions remain a top 5 injury in high-impact crashes. General data shows 65% of fatal cycling injuries involve head trauma, but in pro racing, non-fatal concussions are the primary concern here. 5. Multiple Injuries (Polytrauma) A significant portion of serious crashes result in multiple simultaneous injuries (e.g., a fractured collarbone combined with rib fractures and lung contusions). Severity: Studies of elite withdrawals show that "multiple injuries" is a distinct and frequent category for race-ending incidents, often more so than isolated muscle strains in crash scenarios. Gender Disparities in Crash Injuries Recent data highlights distinct differences in how male and female pros are affected: Incidence Rate: Some data suggests male road cyclists have a higher rate of reported injuries per athlete-day in racing (14.91 vs 0.68 in one specific dataset, though this may reflect reporting differences or sample size), while other studies show females have a significantly higher risk ratio for injury during racing compared to their training baseline (RR 11.10 for females vs 10.24 for males). Injury Type: Females are disproportionately prone to upper extremity fractures (specifically wrists) and are more likely to require EMS transport following an incident compared to males, who more frequently receive on-site medical attention and continue or self-transport.

@quiff There is also the live S4C coverage which is on iPlayer and freesat channel 120. Great for brushing up on your Welsh language skills.

@quiff Sorry, for Mitsky's benefit, obvs I meant 'driver'

@Pub bike 8. Being brake-checked by a car

I was pleasantly surprised with the Channel 5 coverage. I also noticed the awkward gap in commentary, and agree that they needed to introduce the format (I had to go Googling to confirm the old "time of the 4th rider" format had changed). So not up to the honed-over-many-years standards of ITV, but it does seem to have been a fairly last minute production, and I'm still just perhaps pathetically) grateful that we still have anything free to air.

7. Being the lead rider in a TTT and riding over a highlighted-with-red-paint manhole cover, leading to your team mates crashing out as they hit the hazard with no warning.

@chrisonabike I'm sure I'd agree with your comment, but I can't work out what 'motor diets' means!

@Pub bike falling down a pot hole, perhaps?

@tomlew Amen.