Comments on: The Dope’s On You: The Missing ProTour Revision http://cyclocosm.com/2007/08/the-dopes-on-you-the-missing-protour-revision/ Pro Cycling News, Commentary and Special Features Fri, 12 Mar 2010 20:18:32 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9 hourly 1 By: Cycling Beat » You Can’t Beat Cycling Blogs http://cyclocosm.com/2007/08/the-dopes-on-you-the-missing-protour-revision/comment-page-1/#comment-2587 Cycling Beat » You Can’t Beat Cycling Blogs Mon, 27 Aug 2007 01:17:54 +0000 http://cyclocosm.com/2007/08/the-dopes-on-you-the-missing-protour-revision/#comment-2587 [...] on the preponderence of tainted or suspect athletes in the Continental Tour teams, Cyclocosm has pointed out just where some questionable riders have disappeared to in his [...] [...] on the preponderence of tainted or suspect athletes in the Continental Tour teams, Cyclocosm has pointed out just where some questionable riders have disappeared to in his [...]

]]> By: Sebastian http://cyclocosm.com/2007/08/the-dopes-on-you-the-missing-protour-revision/comment-page-1/#comment-2568 Sebastian Fri, 24 Aug 2007 23:09:01 +0000 http://cyclocosm.com/2007/08/the-dopes-on-you-the-missing-protour-revision/#comment-2568 Long live the tangent! There were occasional attempts to institute helmet laws in the 90s. I recall a stage in the 1991 Tour when some riders wore fedoras and leather Kangol caps in order to mockingly exploit a loophole in an ordinance that had just been passed. (You'll have to translate French Wikipedia to get the full story on that.) In 2003 they passed an almost-universal helmet rule -- you had to wear them except for the last 5 Ks of a mountaintop finish -- after Andrei Kivilev's death in Paris-Nice. In 2005 the exception was scrapped, and thus the photo of Valverde beating Armstrong to the top of Courchevel that year shows both in helmets (vs. Basso and Armstrong at La Mongie the year before). I agree wholeheartedly with Cosmo that the last-5K exception was great because it preserved one of the sport's most photogenic competitions, the battle to the top of a col. Long live the tangent! There were occasional attempts to institute helmet laws in the 90s. I recall a stage in the 1991 Tour when some riders wore fedoras and leather Kangol caps in order to mockingly exploit a loophole in an ordinance that had just been passed. (You’ll have to translate French Wikipedia to get the full story on that.) In 2003 they passed an almost-universal helmet rule — you had to wear them except for the last 5 Ks of a mountaintop finish — after Andrei Kivilev’s death in Paris-Nice. In 2005 the exception was scrapped, and thus the photo of Valverde beating Armstrong to the top of Courchevel that year shows both in helmets (vs. Basso and Armstrong at La Mongie the year before).

I agree wholeheartedly with Cosmo that the last-5K exception was great because it preserved one of the sport’s most photogenic competitions, the battle to the top of a col.

]]> By: sam http://cyclocosm.com/2007/08/the-dopes-on-you-the-missing-protour-revision/comment-page-1/#comment-2567 sam Fri, 24 Aug 2007 21:35:51 +0000 http://cyclocosm.com/2007/08/the-dopes-on-you-the-missing-protour-revision/#comment-2567 cosmo, sorry for the offtopic comments, i realize i should have posted this elsewhere. feel free to delete. -sam cosmo, sorry for the offtopic comments, i realize i should have posted this elsewhere. feel free to delete.

-sam

]]> By: Cosmo http://cyclocosm.com/2007/08/the-dopes-on-you-the-missing-protour-revision/comment-page-1/#comment-2564 Cosmo Fri, 24 Aug 2007 18:41:58 +0000 http://cyclocosm.com/2007/08/the-dopes-on-you-the-missing-protour-revision/#comment-2564 Adding to this ridiculous aside, I think it's a real bummer they scratched the rule that let you ride casqueless for the final 5km of a climb. I'm a serious helmet proponent (very, <i>very</i> rare that I ever ride without one), but the images of bareheaded cyclists battling the final pitches of a long climb are some of the most compelling in the sport. I just can't see a final 5km crash causing serious head trauma. I suppose it <i>could</i> still happen, but I feel like the "helmets all the way" rule is more a product of helmet makers wanting more TV time, and overinfluential team managers not wanting to keep track of their riders' lids during the most critical moments of every mountain stage. Adding to this ridiculous aside, I think it’s a real bummer they scratched the rule that let you ride casqueless for the final 5km of a climb. I’m a serious helmet proponent (very, very rare that I ever ride without one), but the images of bareheaded cyclists battling the final pitches of a long climb are some of the most compelling in the sport.

I just can’t see a final 5km crash causing serious head trauma. I suppose it could still happen, but I feel like the “helmets all the way” rule is more a product of helmet makers wanting more TV time, and overinfluential team managers not wanting to keep track of their riders’ lids during the most critical moments of every mountain stage.

]]> By: lyne http://cyclocosm.com/2007/08/the-dopes-on-you-the-missing-protour-revision/comment-page-1/#comment-2561 lyne Fri, 24 Aug 2007 15:59:56 +0000 http://cyclocosm.com/2007/08/the-dopes-on-you-the-missing-protour-revision/#comment-2561 Rule stating that helmets had to be worn at all times removing the clause about the last kms on a climb was changed in 2005. Rule stating that helmets had to be worn at all times removing the clause about the last kms on a climb was changed in 2005.

]]> By: spokejunky http://cyclocosm.com/2007/08/the-dopes-on-you-the-missing-protour-revision/comment-page-1/#comment-2559 spokejunky Fri, 24 Aug 2007 14:58:21 +0000 http://cyclocosm.com/2007/08/the-dopes-on-you-the-missing-protour-revision/#comment-2559 Helmets must be worn at all times except for ITT: http://www.uci.ch/imgArchive/Rules/1gene-E.pdf Section 1.3.031 Gotta get my underwear at K-Mart, Judge Wopner at 4 o'clock. Helmets must be worn at all times except for ITT:

http://www.uci.ch/imgArchive/Rules/1gene-E.pdf

Section 1.3.031

Gotta get my underwear at K-Mart, Judge Wopner at 4 o’clock.

]]> By: sam http://cyclocosm.com/2007/08/the-dopes-on-you-the-missing-protour-revision/comment-page-1/#comment-2558 sam Fri, 24 Aug 2007 14:57:01 +0000 http://cyclocosm.com/2007/08/the-dopes-on-you-the-missing-protour-revision/#comment-2558 thanks colin. thanks colin.

]]> By: colin http://cyclocosm.com/2007/08/the-dopes-on-you-the-missing-protour-revision/comment-page-1/#comment-2554 colin Fri, 24 Aug 2007 13:32:22 +0000 http://cyclocosm.com/2007/08/the-dopes-on-you-the-missing-protour-revision/#comment-2554 In other words... yes. And even during Lance's run I believe the rule was that they could only lose the helmets on the final climb to a mountaintop finish. In other words… yes.

And even during Lance’s run I believe the rule was that they could only lose the helmets on the final climb to a mountaintop finish.

]]> By: Troy Walters http://cyclocosm.com/2007/08/the-dopes-on-you-the-missing-protour-revision/comment-page-1/#comment-2551 Troy Walters Fri, 24 Aug 2007 06:32:03 +0000 http://cyclocosm.com/2007/08/the-dopes-on-you-the-missing-protour-revision/#comment-2551 Sam, you're at the wrong blog. Sam, you’re at the wrong blog.

]]> By: ciaccmo http://cyclocosm.com/2007/08/the-dopes-on-you-the-missing-protour-revision/comment-page-1/#comment-2547 ciaccmo Fri, 24 Aug 2007 01:57:36 +0000 http://cyclocosm.com/2007/08/the-dopes-on-you-the-missing-protour-revision/#comment-2547 where have you been? where have you been?

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