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Fans bag selfies with Froome & Thomas during race stoppageChris Froome descending (via YouTube).jpg

Fans bag selfies with Froome & Thomas during race stoppage

Yesterday's RideLondon-Surrey classic was held up by a backlog of amateur cyclists from the RideLondon 100 event, following a series of crashes...
by Laura Laker
Mon, Aug 01, 2016 14:45
4

Fans were given unexpected selfie opportunities with Chris Froome and Geraint Thomas when a backlog of riders from an amateur event briefly halted yesterday’s RideLondon-Surrey Classic.

The professional race was held up by a series of crashes in the RideLondon 100 event which caused congestion at several points along the race for some of its 27,000 participants, and delayed the event’s finish.

Residents in East Clandon, who came out to watch the race, took advantage of the fact some of the world’s best cyclists had stopped in their village.

Tom Boonen wins Prudential RideLondon-Surrey Classic

A RideLondon spokesman said: “This [the stoppage] was done on the advice of police on the grounds of public safety due to congestion in Dorking High Street.

“This was caused by a combination of the delay from the earlier stop when a rider required an air ambulance and other riders who were diverted at mile 44.”

Pro riders were 28 miles into the race when they were brought to a stop. At the time, the breakaway group had a four minute advantage on the chasing pack, which included Chris Froome. Get Surrey has some pictures of the riders here.

Tom Boonen went on to win the RideLondon-Surrey Classic after a 50km solo attack by Geraint Thomas.

Chris Froome
Geraint Thomas
RideLondon-Surrey Classic
RideLondon 100
Laura Laker

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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4 comments

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Radchenister | 8 years ago
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Total non issue, when considered against the 200 riders in TdF. The heart attack incident could happen anytime to someone with a condition, and a 1 in circa 4000 chance of being hospitalised. If those stat's bother anyone, then a duvet day it is, as cycling on British roads is not for you.

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tritecommentbot replied to Radchenister | 8 years ago
1 like

Radchenister wrote:

Total non issue, . The heart attack incident could happen anytime to someone with a condition, and a 1 in circa 4000 chance of being hospitalised..

 

If it could happen to anyone with a condition, as you said, then surely it's a big issue.

 

People need to be getting checked before undertaking intense activity. 

 

I'm in two minds about health passports for sportives. On the one hand it would put a lot of people of from entering, on the other it would push a lot of people into getting a proper well needed checkup. These events are overpacked, not as if it would harm the organisers financially. If anything, we'd see less people in tents.

 

I hate going to the doctors for anything. I've diagnosed myself, and treated myself (including medicine bought overseas) for the best part of twenty years now. Definitely not good practise, so something like a passport would push me in the right direction.

 

 

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700c replied to Radchenister | 8 years ago
2 likes

Radchenister wrote:

Total non issue, when considered against the 200 riders in TdF. The heart attack incident could happen anytime to someone with a condition, and a 1 in circa 4000 chance of being hospitalised. If those stat's bother anyone, then a duvet day it is, as cycling on British roads is not for you.

Don't understand your point. It's demonstrably an issue  because of what happened, and because of those stats and likelihood of this happening is so high.

Why cause such pressure on the sportive just so that you can get the pro's around later on in the day - seems to disadvantage both groups raising the risk of accidents further.

Current arrangement gives hardly any contingency/ wiggle room to allowing the sportive riders to complete the full route in the event of the inevitable hold ups. People are crammed in, forced to get there at an ungodly hour, many have a miserable time, get frustrated/ shouted at, touch wheels etc etc. 

Here's a suggestion: The pros go before the amateurs like in the London Marathon? Amateurs then have all day to complete.

 

 

 

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700c | 8 years ago
2 likes

Farcical and totally forseeable. They either need to reduce the numbers of entrants on the sportive or hold the pro race on a different day. The only reason for cramming so many riders through narrow lanes, over a short time, is due to clearing it for the pros later on.

This time they didn't even manage that.

Accidents, emergencies and delays are pretty much inevitable with those volumes of amateur riders.

Tragic of course that a rider has again died doing this ride, however. Hopefully it will inspire more support for his charity.

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