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Video: on-bike footage as Nairo Quintana crashes out of the VueltaNairo Quintana crash

Video: on-bike footage as Nairo Quintana crashes out of the Vuelta

Questions asked about press moto but it's not clear what caused the pile up...
by dave atkinson
Fri, Sep 05, 2014 10:32
6

On-bike camera footage of Nairo Quintana's Vuelta-ending crash has surfaced online, and though it throws some light on the situation there are still plenty of questions unanswered about what actually caused the crash.

The footage comes with a Saxo-Tinkoff badge at the start so presumably it's one of their riders, though it's not clear who from the video description. The crash happens on the right hand side of the road. Immediately before the riders fall a press moto is clearly visible in the shot; it moves out of the front of the shot and almost immediately there's the sound of braking. Next we see the moto going down on its side, just off the road, with Belkin and Cofidis riders going down with it.

However, Quintana is not there, he's a bit further down the road, probably another four or five metres on. He's clearly left the road and probably gone over the bars. An IAM Cycling rider – Jonathan Fumeaux, we think – is in the road a little further on and his bike further still. His position, and his bike's position, suggest a front wheel slide-out, possibly following a clash of wheels.

From the available footage it doesn't look the the moto caused the crash, although it does get caught up in it. Best guess would be a touch of wheels that brought down Fumeaux, leading to the chain of events further back on the road.

Quintana was stoic about the crash on twitter:

 

"Surgery in a few hours and now thinking of 2015, and the chance to pay back all the support. Onwards!" is his message, suggesting he's not fuming about his situation.

2014 Vuelta
Nairo Quintana
Dave Atkinson

Dave is a founding father of road.cc, having previously worked on Cycling Plus and What Mountain Bike magazines back in the day. He also writes about e-bikes for our sister publication ebiketips. He's won three mountain bike bog snorkelling World Championships, and races at the back of the third cats.

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6 comments

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SamLichy | 10 years ago
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That's the problem with the moto's often getting in the way. Tough luck for Quintana - was a privilege to watch him in the first stages. Hope he recovers soon.

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racingcondor | 10 years ago
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Looks to me like braking. Bunch slowed down, got wider as riders overlapped and the moto which was alongside suddenly had no room (almost certainly making things worse).

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balmybaldwin | 10 years ago
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Looks like a rider was down that the moto was avoiding (dangerously). The question is why was the moto there in the first place. At the vuelta especially all the motorbikes get far too close to the riders, both in terms of putting them at risk, and giving them a tow. Another example of this was when bertie attacked on wednesday and 2 motos blocked his path. Yes there was a crowd not helping, but it ruins the racing, and bith could and should have just pulled ou of the way or more likely shouldnt have been in the gap anyway.

In this case bikes had been buzzing quintana all through the roll out to the extent it was commented on by Gary Imlach

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zanf | 10 years ago
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Quite obvious that it was Ryder Hesjedal that went down and his bike continued moving because of the motor that he has installed in the seat tube.

That dangerous, cheat needs to be removed from the pro peloton before he kills someone!

< /sarcasm >

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MartyMcCann | 10 years ago
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According to Tinkoff Saxo the camera was on Chris Anker Sørensen's bike.

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SweatnGears | 10 years ago
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You can definitely see the bunch was slowing down at a rapid pace, especially as the bike with the camera gets swallowed up so quickly. Don't think it was the motocam's fault at all. He just got caught up in it as he didn't want to ride over the rider that crashed in front of him.

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