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news
Chris Froome Ventoux.PNGChris Froome runs up Mont Ventoux: Twitter, Lance Armstrong, Geraint Thomas…er, and Chris Froome react
Holy what on Earth just happened? Just when you start thinking the outcome of Tour de France is a predictable one, you blink and everything’s on fire.
If you missed it – and beware, catch-up TV people, spoilers alert – Froome was in a group of three with Richie Porte and Bauke Mollema, in the final kilometer of the stage, on Mt Ventoux, when a moto braked suddenly - apparently to avoid crowds - causing a pile up of the three, and the destruction of Froome’s bike. Without a replacement to hand Froome, intent on finishing, began RUNNING towards the line.
There are obvious safety implications of fans standing inches from riders where there isn’t even room to race, today's crash as high profile an example as you'd get. As we know, it’s something Froome himself brought up earlier in the race after being fined for pushing a fan who got too close.
Here's some of the instant reactions; we'll have a more considered follow up for you in the coming hours.
Armstrong summed up what many fans will have been feeling as, palms stuck to the sides of faces, they yelled incomprehensibly at the screen.
Lance Armstrong, who controversially ‘gifted’ a win to the late Marco Pantani on the Ventoux in 2000.
Shit show.
— Lance Armstrong (@lancearmstrong) July 14, 2016
Geraint Thomas saw the funny side in a post-stage interview.
Geraint Thomas when being shown a video of Froome running without his bike. "He's from Kenya, should be good at that!" #tdf2016
— Helene (@itshelene) July 14, 2016
British Cycling didn't really know what to say
How do you start to explain @chrisfroome's #TDF2016 today? Have you ever seen anything like this?! pic.twitter.com/JzlN6BG0Mn
— British Cycling (@BritishCycling) July 14, 2016
Here's Froome 'Running Up that Hill,' as Kate Bush sang - the caption reads, "The young lad is encouraging Froome as if it were normal."
Photo incroyable : le gamin encourage Froome comme si c'était normal pic.twitter.com/4nxEy5XWfy
— Stéphane Kohler (@Kohlerderien) July 14, 2016
Froome's former team mate at Sky, Juan Antonio Flecha, was taken out by car while in a break at the 2011 Tour de France in the incident that sent Jonny Hoogerland into a barbed wire fence; here's what he had to say.
Flecha' opinions about the crash. You can see/feel his passion. #TDF2016 pic.twitter.com/QI8fTgIiIu
— CyclingHub.tv (@CyclingHubTV) July 14, 2016
And finally - for now - BMC Racing's Taylor Phinney, not riding the Tour, captures the zeitgeist.
Someone found a Pokemon up on Ventoux #TDF2016
— Taylor Phinney (@taylorphinney) July 14, 2016
Here's the results, according to organisers:
#TDF2016 GC after race jury review, @AdamYates7 stays in #WhiteJersey and 2nd GC, report to follow #OBErocks pic.twitter.com/VeoUlhTknp
— ORICA-BikeExchange (@ORICA_BE) July 14, 2016
A no doubt relieved Froome retains the overall lead
Still in the #YellowJersey #TDF
— Chris Froome (@chrisfroome) July 14, 2016
Here's what the immediate aftermath of that crash looked like.
Foto van de val: pic.twitter.com/iDQxcjoVO0
— Raymond Kerckhoffs (@raykerckhoffs) July 14, 2016
Foto van de val: pic.twitter.com/iDQxcjoVO0
— Raymond Kerckhoffs (@raykerckhoffs) July 14, 2016
Laura Laker is a freelance journalist with more than a decade’s experience covering cycling, walking and wheeling (and other means of transport). Beginning her career with road.cc, Laura has also written for national and specialist titles of all stripes. One part of the popular Streets Ahead podcast, she sometimes appears as a talking head on TV and radio, and in real life at conferences and festivals. She is also the author of Potholes and Pavements: a Bumpy Ride on Britain’s National Cycle Network.
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32 comments
Never supported Froome and now he's a legend who never gives up.
Hats off to you!
what an effort.
He shouldn't have even been running without a bike, but under the circumstances the authorities have clearly seen sense and overlooked that.
If Froome had run over the finish line without his bike, would it have counted as a legitimate finish?
Also, I'm a bit miffed as to why he didn't address the fans/situation in his post race interview. No mention of "please show consideration" or "step back when you see riders approaching" etc. A world stage and it seems to remain unaddressed. Unless I missed it, of course!
I believe not. He would need to have his/a bike with him though not necessarily riding it.
With regard to commenting about encroaching crowds, he has previously commented on the subject but appears on this occasion to have kept a diplomatically low profile after the stage.
https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20091018185444AAO5lgR
The awful events in Nice last night surely raises the threat of some kind of attack at the Tour. The options available to a terrorist in crowds like we saw yesterday are just too horrible to contemplate and the riders are very vulnerable with spectators getting so close and without apparent control of any form.
He's just boo'ed generally by the French. Was the same at the end of the stage before the crash.
They were particularly pissy because Froome stopped for his teammate.. Stannard maybe? And then the peloton slowed down for Froome as he's in Yellow. Think Cancellara controlled it.
Froome didn't need to stop really and you could interpret it as good sport or bad sport.
Probably bad sport due to the actual circumstances this time.. peloton was blowing apart already and the race was on. Probably Froome should have pushed on.
Don't really think Yellow jersey courtesy should be abused so you can keep all your team around you, but whatever, it worked, and SKY are masterful tactically. Whether you love it or hate it it's up to you.
Chris TR1 - no, basically.
Chris TR1 - no, basically.
Why was he boo'd on the podium??.
Yeah, I don't get that either. He had launched a plucky attack, crashed through no fault of his own & showed his determination by running on in his cleats! A shake of his head as he crossed the line and then perfectly composed for the press when most of us would have chucked our teddies out the pram long before...
What more does the guy have to do?!
Well done Froome!
And, as to the "fans", is there no area of life which is safe from retarded scum?!
Because he's Britishish...
Got to love G - enjoying the rain the other day because it's just like Wales and saying Froomey can run it because he's Kenyan
I have to give it to Chris today. Imagine the frustration running through his veins, and how he managed to not turn Hulk and smash everything around him. Love him or loath him, the man possesses a level of self control most (ie me) could only dream of.
It amazes me how reviews tell you how strong carbon bike frames are, then you se a fairly mild crash up hill and the seat stay on Froome's bike breaks. A 6k + bike fucked. That is shit. The only good thing is that CF got justice today. Retains yellow jersey
Froome's bike was run over by the following motorbike. An aluminium or steel bike would have also been completely fucked by that
How about a Boris bike?
I'm amazed no one has quoted rule 42 yet (no, not the one about a towel).
Thanks for your answer, I wasn't aware that CF's bike had been run over Which would be deemed catastrophic . Apologies for miss post.
A choice of over 120k average per stage to step in front of your least favourite rider, to dive in front of descending riders to meet your God or to roll a grenade into the road and walk away? I'm sure the UCI and ASO have considered a fair few nightmare scenarios in recent years.They can't close off a road race so they carry on.
As usual Uncle Chris made the most sense concerning longer barriers. Chris Froome was the most diplomatic. Had that happened to Wiggins he would have made it all about him and TDF2016 would have been defined by it. Luckily it happened to Chris Froome. Love him or hate him - he's a professional.
Could we not put a cattle gaurd of a train on to the front of a car and drive that up first? If you dont move out of the way its your own fault...
It could have been so much worse, if that moped behind had hit Froome and not his bike there'd be nothing the moronic organisers could have done to correct the situation. The tour really dodged a bullet today.
So, Froomey has just discarded his bike at the side of the road. Even damaged, I reckon it beats a discarded water bottle. One lucky frog!
FOUR motorbikes crowded in front of the GC contenders?
Perhaps not the spectators after all?
good image showing the space available.
The press bikes in front are too close...that width is consistent with many previous grandtours, but four motorbikes in a line directly in front and that near is asking for trouble. One stop and they all stop. And the riders wont have time to react.
They might have done if the motor had caliper brakes
Shorten the stage by 37.5% and you get a much denser crowd, wether that means their intelegence of mass I'm yet to decide.
Where on earth do you get 37.5% from? It was shortened by just 6km - less than 3.5%.
Think he went the Ventoux climb, was worded badly, but 16km shortened by 6km
It was a ludicrous spectacle, but still not as absurd as Boris Johnson, the noted racist buffoon, being put in charge of foreign affairs.
There may have been some controversy regarding the awarding of todays Maillot Jaune but there will be no such consternation about todays 'Most Aggressive Crowbar' Award.
Congratulations!
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