Tandem Racing

[Maverick0073]

The only BS here is the joking with the mixed.

 

unless something is done soon there will be death in this group.

 

the racing is fast and accidents are more serious.

 

there has to be seeding

 

 

[Cruxpearl]

Maverick,

This is the first serious accident in the racing Tandem section in the last 18 months...

Just because someone close to you is involved, doesn't suddenly make Tandem racing the most dangerous racing on the cycling calender...

[bruce]

 

OK' date=' didn't read the story about the details of the crash, but have now... Just infuriates me even more considering what had happened and the speed at which our VA bunch blew past, even though emergency people and marshalls were trying to get us to slow down. Leaves a bitter taste in my mouth that winning comes at any cost... 

[/quote']

 

Not so sure about this one Pantani, I was at the front with Marco VB and Bruce Anderson when we went past the accident.  We all put up our hands and slowed down.  Nobody attacked at that point and we just carried on riding.  To me that was a better option than slowing down completely and causing congestion.

 

[Pantani]

Ag I understand bruce, I'm just ranting and it's a case of sour grapes on my part because I was in the wrong place at the wrong time . By the time I passed the accident the proverbial horse had bolted.

[bruce]

 

Ag I understand bruce' date=' I'm just ranting and it's a case of sour grapes on my part because I was in the wrong place at the wrong time . By the time I passed the accident the proverbial horse had bolted.

[/quote']

 

So, what happened to your attack that 101% wasn't going to chase down but Marco was?

 

[Pantani]

 

Hahaha, I had a really uneasy feel on Sunday. Guys were twitchy and there were too many near misses that made me uncomfortable. I saw some dude go down on the side of the road in a pile of dust??? Couldn't understand what happened there. The I saw 101% suddenly tap off as if he had punctured, only to emerge from the other side of the bunch. It was really dangerous trying to get to the front, the bunch was massive on Sunday. Then there were the two blokes who punctured simultaneously and scared the crap out of me because it was like gunshot left and right! Lots of bottles falling too. Who of the BM guys chain came off? Was it you? That also killed my nerve.

 

On the whole I was psyched out. Having fallen very hard before, and bearing the scars for life, I tend to back off when faced by a bunch like we had on Sunday... I've lost my nerve...

 

Pantani2007-02-26 11:07:57

[Pantani]

Oh, and what really grates my freakin' carrot is the blokes who ride unroadworthy bikes!!!  The number of guys who when under braking look as if their headsets are going to pop, brake blocks fly off, blah blah... There were some unhealthy bikes in the bunch... Especially the ones that when braking screeeeeech like cars and cause the whole bunch to swerve...

[bruce]

I lost my chain.  I nearly hit the deck when I followed Tommy Grobler on an attack.  I took a quick peak under my arm to see if the bunch had responded and he slowed slightly.  I crossed wheels with him and almost came off.  My cleat came out the pedal and my chain came off - struggled to get it back on!

 

I saw Manfred riding with his front brake cable and caliper wrapped around his handlebars - would not like to be riding at that speed with only back brakes that is for sure.

 

You sound a bit shell-shocked dude!!

 

[Pantani]

Bliksem!  You were very lucky because from where I was it looked like you weren't going to make it!  About being shell shocked, it's true, I don't handle the chaos of bunch riding well. However, I will confront this irrational fear one more time this weekend and wager my genitals at the bleeding edge of Vets racing...

 

Another thing, the tandem crash has also put fear into my own stoker because she was at the finish and couldn't understand why I wasn't in the VA bunch when they finished and then she heard about the crash... Going to have to build her up as well and get her out on the road...

 

[bruce]

I had visions of a whole new set of roasties.

 

Not sure what is going to be happening this weekend.  Heard today that the Tour de Soweto is a bit of a doubt - not sure exactly what the story is.  Otherwise it is the Harmony race.

[Christie]

When the VA bunch went past the crash site, the bottleneck of the emergency vehicles etc caused the huge bunch to get stretched out very long. Front riders sped up before the back guys had passed the crash site. Some of my team mates got stuck behind, chased for 5km to get back on.

Pantani, I'm with you - the VA bunch was very big for those narrow roads. Saw guys riding off the tar on the dirt shoulder early on. A team mate wrote off his Cervelo R3 just before Heidelburg. 

[Pantani]

Good one Christie!!!

 

  

A real climber would never fit a 25 - Marco Pantani

 

 

[Pantani]

 

Saw guys riding off the tar on the dirt shoulder early on.

 

There was one that stood out, some guy on the left side... One second he was up and then... he just went down like someone riding a horse that just collapses...

 

[bruce]

There should be a size limit.  I reckon I was 200m behind the front guys going into the first corner.  Also, there was no neutral zone so the guys went hard from the gun!

[Owen]

There should be a size limit.  I reckon I was 200m behind the front guys going into the first corner.  Also' date=' there was no neutral zone so the guys went hard from the gun! [/quote']

 

Did we also go hard ?

[bruce]

 

There should be a size limit.  I reckon I was 200m behind the front guys going into the first corner.  Also' date=' there was no neutral zone so the guys went hard from the gun! [/quote']

 

Did we also go hard ?

 

Speaking for myself, not hard enough - had a bad race.  Wrote a report on the blog - not one of my better days that is for sure!