En esa carretera hay un montón de raíces de los arboles por debajo del asfalto que hace que la carretera sea muy botona. A la vista no se aprecian pero sin darte cuenta vas dando botes y si no llevas el manillar bien agarrado es "fácil" salir por los aires.
Tree roots, level too high or risks: fellow riders look for possible cause of the Basque Country crash
CyclingThursday, 04 April 2024 at 12:43
Mattias Skjelmose can now call himself the new leader of the Tour of the Basque Country, but the Dane from Lidl-Trek will not wear this first leader's jersey with pride. Primoz Roglic (BORA-hansgrohe) and Remco Evenepoel (Soudal Quick-Step), the two ahead of him, disappeared from the race after a massive crash, which also involved Skjelmose's compatriot Jonas Vingegaard (Visma | Lease a Bike).
Skjelmose's teammate, Natnael Tesfatsion, was one of the first to hit the asphalt, the Danish champion also observed. "We were descending after the first steep climb and the road was very bumpy while we were fighting for positions. Unfortunately, we were going a bit too fast and that caused some riders to fall, after which more followed...", Skjelmose shares his side of the story.
"It was very unfortunate and I don’t think it was anyone's fault," Skjelmose states, seeking explanations for the many crashes in recent weeks. "To be honest, indeed, there are a lot of falls in this race. I am somewhat surprised by that, coming from the always nervous Paris-Nice." Earlier, riders including David Gaudu and Tom Pidcock had already dropped out, while Roglic, like Juan Ayuso among others, had also hit the ground on Wednesday.
"This year, the course in the Basque Country is somewhat easier, but the level is so high. So many guys can compete at the front," outlines the winner of last year's Tour of Switzerland. "When we climb with crazy numbers, there are still sixty guys in the peloton at the top of a climb. That always makes it a bit nervous, there's nothing more to say about it. That's just cycling for you," concludes the new leader of the Tour of the Basque Country with Eurosport.
Hermans: "I think the turn was misjudged"
Quinten Hermans, who won a stage on Wednesday, was also caught up in the crash. "I didn’t see much of it, but I was involved," said the rider from Alpecin-Deceuninck. "I managed to partially avoid it and went into the bushes, where most had fallen just before. I'm really among the lucky ones, the damage is relatively minor," he told VTM Nieuws.
"I think the riders misjudged the turn. There were a lot of bumps in that corner, and I believe that's why they didn't dare to brake. That way, the braking moment was missed, and the turn was sharper than anticipated. As a result, the second rider lost his line. I can’t say it was a dangerous course or a dangerous turn; I think we ourselves are pushing the limits too hard," Hermans concludes.
Mikel Bizkarra, a local and rider for Euskaltel-Euskadi, knows the road well and shared his thoughts on X (formerly Twitter). "There are a lot of tree roots under the asphalt on that road, making it very bumpy. At first glance, you don’t see them, but unwittingly you bounce around. If you don’t hold the handlebars tightly, you can easily get lifted." Pello Bilbao, riding for Bahrain Victorious and also from the Basque Country, confirmed that analysis.
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Latest Comments
- Van Aert is really handsome. He can influence me all day! Ditto for Philipsen. Why do you think many of us love cycling?: to see heroic attempts at climbing mountains at high altitudes or to watch speedsters sprint for the finish line or to watch a human being ride at break neck speed down a tricky descent? No, it's all about their lean physiques and muscular legs. (apologies for objectifying these dedicated and amazing athletes).BarwonHeadsUp25-10-2024
- It is unfortunate that the author can't feel the joy that Pogacar brings to the sport and his fans who are legion and I for one feel lucky to have watched such a memorable performance and historic season From the Strada until yesterday with multiple wins in stages in both tours and beyond dominance in the World's. He is proud to wear the Rainbow stripes, shows his leadership to protect his fellows and is as courteous and sportsman-like as the sport allows. He goes early to not have to respond to each attack as all the rest would make him do it. Any racer who could would do the same. Don't "grow tired" of greatness as it is always fleeting.ccrider13-10-2024
- What load of rubbish. Pog is likely a once in a generation cyclist, the like of which hasn't been seen since 'the Cannibal '. How many people were complaining that Merckx was making racing predictable? I remember this year's World RR as one of the most exciting I've watched. Mainly BECAUSE Pog was the favourite and launched what everyone thought (Pog included) was a suicidal attack with 80km to go. For the next 2 hours, I was on the edge of my seat thinking "this is too much, even for Pog". Maybe Zonnefeld prefers the snooze-fest that is a bunch sprint? Like most people I know, I can't watch two hours of the bunch riding very fast... I wait for the final 5km and watch just the sprint. In any event, most races are won from a sprint or lone break. What difference does it make who makes the lone break? Ultimately, the other contenders will have to figure out a way to beat Pog. Even if that means collaboration between teams. It's going to be an exciting few seasons, until the next Pog arrives on the scene. If this is boring, heaven knows what exciting looks like!Michael513-10-2024
- This is not a gravel race. UCI fail, from the surface they are on to team tactics. In what country was the first "gravel race" in what country is the most popular gravel race? Go with the race model that created the discipline.
Barnes127411-10-2024 - And don't forget he has now won 4 of the big 10 races (Grand tours, Monuments and WC/OG) in one year with a chance to make that 5. (5 has only been done once before)Joostmehrtens05-10-2024