Tour de France: car crashes into Juan Antonio Flecha and Johnny Hoogerland

[Lars77]

Run time: 01:13 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tWT8yeHGA0U   Posted on YouTube: July 10, 2011 By YouTube Member: erikkz Views on YouTube: 324   Posted on DU: July 10, 2011 By DU Member: Lars77 Views on DU: 2717

 
Apparently there are so many cars with sponsors and VIP guests following the race now that there's dangerous situations every day.
Today Hoogerland had to pay the price - the fence he hit has barbed wire..

[DrDan]

1. I am surprised we do not see more of that the way those cars and scooters "mingle" with the riders

[rurallib]

2. so hard to believe they would let cars on the race roads

how fucking stupid are they?

[muriel_volestrangler]

4. They're support or officials' cars - which are meant to have competent drivers

The driver was trying to pass the riders on a narrow section, with one wheel on the side verge. He saw a tree at the side coming up, swerved to avoid it, and hit the cyclists instead.

On edit: It was a TV car. "France 2/3", meaning, looking at the colours on it, a car for the France 2 and France 3 channels:

[JBoy]

3. That aspect of the Tour is insanity. Not surprised at all.

On the first day one of the riders clipped a spectator, which brought down half the field.

Those mountain stages where spectators crowd the road waving flags in front of the riders until the last second would piss me off if I was competing. Half those people are probably drunk.

[glinda]

5. Prior to the crash he was speeding. His swerve was big. He was stupid and should be fired.

[Lars77]

7. Apprently race control warned him not to overtake there

They usually know every aspect of the route in detail, and told the driver to hang back, but he did not listen.
He has been suspended from bike races for life.

Speeding is no problem as long as you have competent drivers though.

He has to speed to keep up with the riders,in fact on the downhill sections going through the sweeping bends the cars cannot keep up with the riders at all cause they can do close to 60mph in some places.

Also today two of the tours biggest favourites crashed out. One of them went off the guardrail in the mountain and flew into the forest below.

I can hardly imagine a more extreme sport than this.

[glinda]

10. Was that where there was an opening in the curve and they all went in?

Plus if you watch the driver, his left wheels were off the road quite a ways. He made the mistake in judgement to not take into consideration how narrow the road was, how fast he was going there and not making it before he would hit the tree. It was poor judgement, bad driving and taking unnecessary risks to all.

[frazzled]

6. Car and driver for France Television 2/3 expelled from race

Yeah, ya think?

Pretty big, though, for a major French television car to be expelled. The riders are lucky they weren't more seriously hurt. Their--and their teams' chances--are now completely ruined.

When you see the footage, it looks almost intentional, despite the tree thing. "According to Cyclim’Actu, the car had been instructed to allow the Europcar vehicle to give a bottle to Thomas Voeckler, and not to pass. It therefore disobeyed the commands of the commisaires."


Read more: http://www.velonation.com/News/ID/9028/Driver-involved-in-FlechaHoogerland-crash-expelled-from-Tour-de-France.aspx#ixzz1RjqprUXq

[Lars77]

8. Hoogerland went back onto the bike and finished the stage:

Flecha also finished.

[jberryhill]

9. The later downhill wipeout was horrific

They get nutrition and even mechanical adjustments, from the people in the cars.

This one, though was a camera car.

The videographer in the helicopter is doing a great job.

[enough]

11. That looks deliberate. (nt)

[iamthebandfanman]

12. nah, the car was about to hit a tree.

not saying that means its okay to just swerve into someone on a bike... but the driver did have a reason other than being malicious

[keith the dem]

13. I've driven a car in Pro Bike races for 25 years

This guy broke every rule in the book:
1. The riders take precedence over any motor vehicle, It's the drivers responsibly to let the bikes go wherever they want. He should have backed off when he saw there was enough room. I've had to slam a car into the curb to avoid riders.
2. Notice how he sped past the official's car that was just behind the riders. You must always slow down and get permission before you pass any official's car.

Driving in a race is controlled craziness. Whenever you are close to the riders you must be extremely careful. Because of the speeds and tight clearances, the rules of the road are very important. This was not just a judgment error, but near criminal negligence in not following well established rules.

[bertman]

14. Typical media behavior IMO. Terrible for the riders.