So many crashes

fat bloke

Giro is a bit mad I think it's fair to say with the amount of crashes, large and small, that we have seen. But it seems to me there's hardly a race report now at any level that doesn't have a gory crash headline with gratuitous bloody pics.

Shows incredible bravery and commitment and all of that and I don't know how lads do it, but I've been wondering lately if there'll be any push in the years to come towards actually protecting riders a little bit more. Not that it has to be nannyism or anything like that, but even purely from a pragmatic point of view, If I'm running a pro team and I'm losing key personnel, from domestiques to GC contenders, all of whom are on my payroll, and not getting the race finishes and results that i need to be successful, then maybe I need to think about how to alleviate that risk.

I mean, in fairness, it's not long at all at all since no one wore any helmets, but now they are standard and unquestioned issue. Will there be any moves towards even very simple paddings at contact points like hips and elbows an knees? We already have them for palms of hands in gloves, for nether regions on the saddle. You're still always going to have crashes and knocks and bumps and pain, but well designed strategic padding could be acceptable light, comfortable, maybe even with an aero advantage, might protect vulnerable joints , just like they do in skating or mtb'ing or motorcycling. It could make the difference between your expensive GC rider getting up and riding on, or going home for 6-8 weeks in a cast:(

Just wondering like.

wirelessdude01

Padding in gloves and shorts is for comfort on long spins not for crashes. Not quite sure any of the teams would really be on for it as it creates more drag.

fat bloke

wirelessdude01 wrote: »

Padding in gloves and shorts is for comfort on long spins not for crashes. Not quite sure any of the teams would really be on for it as it creates more drag.

It would add more weight of course. Doesn't have anything to do with aerodynamic drag though. That would depend on the surface design and material. Anyway, the downsides are obvious. My question was whether at some stage there'll be a tipping point where it will be considered worth adding some padding to offset the very obvious personal and team disadvantages of crashing.

Ole Rodrigo

A fine line between creating a spectacle for the fans and keeping the riders healthy.

Does a photo of a crashed rider, and the brand exposure for the sponsor that it might bring, compensate for missing a higher placement in the GC ( or podium ) and the benefit that might bring to a team ? If I was a manager I'd have to consider this, even if I was a bit uncomfortable with it in principle. Dan Martin had some awful luck lately but hes got a lot of exposure too. Most crashes aren't so serious as to take a rider out for a prolonged period of time and if pressed, they might admit theres more suffering keeping a high pace on a mountain climb than taking a tumble.

Zyzz

I think the only solution is to force to professional riders to wear carbon stabilisers..

daragh_

Once you turn pro you should have your collarbones replaced with titanium. Or whatever Wolverine has.