Video: Spectacular 'domino effect' crash at Category 3 race - but who caused it?

I think this argument is certainly 50/50. Racers may come across as arrogant or feeling superior, but I think in many cases thats because they are reacting to a sportive rider's boasting around athletic / racing prowess.

I've certainly found myself goaded into calling out sportive riders in the past as it was impossible to stand back and be slagged off and belittled by their 'racing' achievements.

if you want to compete with other people, put a number on and enter a race. If you are happy competing with yourself, then ride sportives and race yourself. but be under no illusion that you are only racing yourself.

Truth is, actual racing is pretty safe. In 20 years of racing I can count the amount of crashes I have had on my hands. It does happen, but with an infrequency and lack of seriousness that it is a non-event in my eyes. 

Another truth... if you do something, and practice something a lot, you generally get better at it. Not always, but the average response is to become accustomed and more skilled with repitition. This is the way with racing. If you race around corners in a competitive bunch a lot, you will become better at racing around corners in a bunch.

The best racing cyclists are competent at cornering and bunch craft, not because their natural ability to get around a corner is better than others, its because they have a learned skill. 

My point being is this. When a competitive racer says to a non-competitive rider that you need to have racing experience to understand a situation, its probably because unless you've been in that situation, you are unlikely to understand it. 

Coming from a cycle speedway background I would look upon the move by the rider in blue as a great overtaking manoeuvre and the rider in black as being a bit soft, however, in a road racing context it would have to be seen in a different context. All of the three main protagonists here make mistakes, but isn't that what racing a a lower level all about? Surely one of the main reasons for having a categorisation system is so that riders can make mistakes like this and learn then move up, or as some have suggested decide that it's not for them and move on to something else.

@Leviathan:

Totally understand that numpties who shouldn't really be riding a bike quickly round bends in events are best off not riding a bike quickly round bends in events. I'm one of them, I learned that pretty quickly - I mistook Cat2 fitness/power/straight line speed for even being able to race Cat4s properly, as I suspect many do, comically powering past people on the straights and almost being dropped on the bends.

Now I only really go fast on a bike in straight-ish lines under 'no drafting' rules, often sandwiched between a swim and run, or, more slowly, in mud. I've found my niche, without crashing once (if you count one or two offs per CX race as 'slides' not 'crashes').

But you admitted yourself up there^ that you don't want to actually race where everyone is racing because it's too mental and potentially costly: you prefer to race in an event that is a lot safer for precisely the reason that it isn't a race! It's the lack of 'proper' racing in it that makes it a more pleasant environment - if everyone took it balls out it'd be over at the first bend. Sorry for interpreting that as you being too scared to mix with the bigger boys where daft shit happens and preferring to be one of the bigger boys in a safer event.

At least Cat4 plodders have the balls to plod/be unfit/run out of skills in an environment where everybody accepts that it's a race and shit happens.

So yeah, if you want to race, get yourself to a real race. Doesn't have to be a crit - plenty of TTs and CXs about.

It's clear the fella on the inside out of control, causes the chain of events, however playing devils advocate, it looks to me, very briefly, like there may have been a drain which he was trying to avoid.. anyone else see something there?

It's a mesmerising clip.

So, sportives: races for people scared of (or too shit for) real races...

That's the thing I took umbrage with about Leviathan's post ^. Sure, you don't want to surround yourself with faster, or stronger, or crazier , or less skillful riders who might think nothing of snapping a carbon frame or clavicle.  But at least in actual races, everyone knows the score: everyone is racing.

If you then go and 'race' a sportive, you're being exactly the type of wally you're trying to avoid, to people just out to get a decent run in with some mates, or do their first 50/100. They're really not racing, and neither was I when I did them.

The London Marathon must just be a fun run then. No Kudos for winning that.

Shittest article of the month award. 

Can we just for once put the whole 'You should be in a race' business to rest. There are people (generally ex amateur racers) who love to bleat this out when anyone talks about sportives or audax or strava; that these are not serious or competetive. I don't want to race because it is actually more dangerous and stupid than a few guys going too fast in a sportive. I'd rather mix it with a few numpties on the road than a whole pack of them. Sure these guys are fast and mean and want to win, but that is a recipe for crashes. If you want to do Cat racing you are guarenteed to be in crashes eventually. 

Sure I have crashed a few times because of my own mistakes (mud/ice/bird shite) but not because someone else crashed into me. I'd rather take a bruised arse and ego than a broken leg. I don't have money to waste on cracked frames. I take my events seriously and play the long game, I ride long and at my own speed. if this is the kind of muppetry you think is a 'proper' race I'll stick to my sportives.

race
reɪs/
noun

1.
a competition between runners, horses, vehicles, etc. to see which is the fastest in covering a set course.

ergo a sportive is a race. Just not the kind of race you like.

Looks like too much inexperience, tactical ineptitude, testosterone and zero teamwork.  Unless it is a crit or approaching the final, which it doesn't look like given the lack of urgency and/or chatter, little point going in that bunched and hemmed. 

Hang back, pick your own apex (idealy innermost 'kerb clip') and treat it like a descent with sensible gaps front, side and rear.  You won't win anything here but you could lose everything (especially on that nasty opposite high kerb - Rio Olympics springs to mind).

All looks to start because the guy in black enters the corner slower than the rest of the bunch (see how much ground he loses on the rider in front of him). That causes blue to overlap on his right and that's when white comes into the picture.

Can't really tell if white was going way too fast into the corner and diving up the inside or how much space was left after blue overlaps black. I'd argue that blue was probably blameless though even though he overlaps wheels going into the corner.

I have to agree with nnif - the one is black is the one who comes off his line and then gets sent flying

nice use of the elbow though

The UCLA rider should've hopped the curb and gone over the sidewalk if he was that desperate to cut in front.

The UCLA Rider took the bad line and forced the issues/results.  I believe the gent in blue would have made it without a crash and everyone unscathed had the UCLA Rider not pushed him that far off his line. Since the UCLA Rider took that bad line, he could have bunny-hopped the curb and maybe precluded the crash altogether....

Amateurs......oh wait.

Look at the kerb: the guy in black cuts right across and gets an elbow from the guy in blue who tries to push him back onto black's line.  Blue finishes what black started and closes the gap to the kerb.  White then has nowhere to go and so ends up on the line of least resistance which leads to the tumbles.  Black gets what he deserved - it's the ones to his left that get a raw deal.

It's a category three race

On reflection, the UCLA guy wasn't on any line. he pretty much straight lined it into the chap in blue... and the rest was inevitable.

That said, the fall should have been avoidable for all... The chap in black has a bit of a panic moment and over-reacts to hitting the chap on his left. if he hadn't done that, all would have stayed up. 

I've always been amused when in these situations as to how hard it is to fall down... its like the riders around you are literally holding you up. Good effort all!

Take inside line, that's terrible idea . . . you risk yourself and other to go down altogether

If this video will be use for find person for responsibility, I think UCLA guy that's it . . . clearly his fault

Guy in blue over-lapped wheels going into the corner to move up the inside taking the UCLA rider's ill-advised line.  Both to blame and both got away with it, unlike the poor unfortunates on the outside.

I'm going with UCLA man.