British Cycling criticised for video showing 'distracted' team coach driving while celebrating win

Ok, so the anti cycling mob can go on the velon youtube channel, take a random video filmed with on board cameras, use it to describe anti social cyclist behaviour (racing on the full width of the road), and when asked about it being a race, respond with "feel free to show me in that clip where it says 'closed road'" ?

Do get back in your box. If this was a Road Race on open roads you would have a point. It isn't; it is a major event on closed roads and every team car will have had similar TV arrangments. The team in the car were there to do a job part of which is monitoring the race situation. 

Risk assesment is part of the UCI's job; if in a sporting environment this is deemed to be a risk then it should be stopped. Blaming BC for this is classic BC bashing BS!

Legin wrote:

Do get back in your box. If this was a Road Race on open roads you would have a point.

The team in the car were there to do a job part of which is monitoring the race situation.

Sorry, I'm not in a box, and I've no idea why you think I'm in one.  Anyway, puerile comments notwithstanding, there have been quite few incidents of team cars running over cyclists, and what about the example it sets?  Utterly crass for a so-called cycling organisation to condone this and not issue a grovelling apology immediately, totally condemning the reckless behaviour which put cyclists at risk.

The driver has one job, one job only, and it isn't to monitor the race; it's to drive the car, safely.  If BC think that it's ok for drivers to watch tv screens, take their eyes off the road and hands off the wheel in the presence of cyclists, then there is no hope for them, and they could hardly better demonstrate their contempt for ordinary cyclists.

Legin wrote:

Do get back in your box. If this was a Road Race on open roads you would have a point. It isn't; it is a major event on closed roads and every team car will have had similar TV arrangments. The team in the car were there to do a job part of which is monitoring the race situation. 

Risk assesment is part of the UCI's job; if in a sporting environment this is deemed to be a risk then it should be stopped. Blaming BC for this is classic BC bashing BS!

 

at the end of the clip the driver barely misses a pedestrian, so much for "it's all OK it's closed roads."

If the whole team will celebrate the vistory as part of parcel of the sport, then they need a neutral disineterested driver who can focus ont he task at hand.

People have been hit by cars and m/cs in the TdF

I guess lessons have not been learnt.

Legin wrote:

Do get back in your box. If this was a Road Race on open roads you would have a point. It isn't; it is a major event on closed roads and every team car will have had similar TV arrangments. The team in the car were there to do a job part of which is monitoring the race situation. 

Risk assesment is part of the UCI's job; if in a sporting environment this is deemed to be a risk then it should be stopped. Blaming BC for this is classic BC bashing BS!

 

Are you suggesting that support drivers need not show the same level of risk awareness and safety as average drivers on the road? Interesting....

Captain Badger wrote:

Are you suggesting that support drivers need not show the same level of risk awareness and safety as average drivers on the road? Interesting....

They are on a dedicated race track. Are you suggesting that Formula 1 drivers need to show the same level of risk awareness and safety as average drivers on the road?

Legin wrote:

Captain Badger wrote:

Are you suggesting that support drivers need not show the same level of risk awareness and safety as average drivers on the road? Interesting....

They are on a dedicated race track. Are you suggesting that Formula 1 drivers need to show the same level of risk awareness and safety as average drivers on the road?

Oh sorry, I though it was a support car on the cycle racecourse. or is your analogy a little askew....?

And neither should a support or safety car on an F1 track be driven by a distracted driver btw.....

Legin wrote:

Captain Badger wrote:

Are you suggesting that support drivers need not show the same level of risk awareness and safety as average drivers on the road? Interesting....

They are on a dedicated race track. Are you suggesting that Formula 1 drivers need to show the same level of risk awareness and safety as average drivers on the road?

are you suggesting that operators of industrial machinary don't need to concentrate on the task at hand because they are not on the public highway? In fact LOWER standards are tolerated on the roads than in any other workplace. If we were to apply the usual health and safety at work considerations to the behaviour shown in the video it would fail.

Magistrate - can you explain how you came to hit the victim with a forklift?

Defendant - well I was watching the company presentation on business performance at the time, and as the results were good and we were all getting a bonus, naturally I spontaneously celebrated.

Magistrate - well thats OK then  completely unacceptable, guilty

People need to appreciate that motor vehicles are dangerous machines, and need to be treated with more respect.

Legin wrote:

Captain Badger wrote:

Are you suggesting that support drivers need not show the same level of risk awareness and safety as average drivers on the road? Interesting....

They are on a dedicated race track. Are you suggesting that Formula 1 drivers need to show the same level of risk awareness and safety as average drivers on the road?

I would bet good money that even the worst F1 driver has a much better level of risk awareness than the average driver on the road.

highlights again the DS/team coach shouldnt be the one driving the team car around, its not a good look however spontaneous the celebration was, I am surprised they havent properly apologised for it, whilst we know it happens alot in cycling, that doesnt make it right for sure.

and how come TeamGB have a left hand drive car anyway

The team cars are provided by the UCI from their sponsorship deal. Even GB pro teams like Ineos have left hand drive cars cos that's how it works on the continent. The celebration was in the finish chute after coming off the course.

yes Im aware cycling pro teams who spend alot of time on the continent use left hand drive cars, thought my emoticon might have hinted I wasnt necessarily posing a serious question

but heres the thing, whenever we go around this why is it the DS/team coach the one who drives loop, the answer is usually along the lines of because they are the ones who talk to the riders, and on the continent the rule is the cars have to stay on the right hand side of the road and can only approach riders on their right hand side, in the UK its actually the left instead, so theyll often say the reason the DS/team coach cant possibly sit in the passenger side and not drive is because theyd be on the wrong side of the car to talk to the riders.

but what if you were to use a right hand drive car instead...?  (rhetorical question)

But then the mechanic would be coming out of the left hand door causing mayhem.

Mechanic normally sats in the back, so has a choice of doors.

rct wrote:

Mechanic normally sats in the back, so has a choice of doors.

Mechanics normally sit in the back holding a couple of wheels. In the UK they service on the left; meaning they jump out on the left on the continent the right. Them's the rules

Awavey wrote:

yes Im aware cycling pro teams who spend alot of time on the continent use left hand drive cars, thought my emoticon might have hinted I wasnt necessarily posing a serious question

but heres the thing, whenever we go around this why is it the DS/team coach the one who drives loop, the answer is usually along the lines of because they are the ones who talk to the riders, and on the continent the rule is the cars have to stay on the right hand side of the road and can only approach riders on their right hand side, in the UK its actually the left instead, so theyll often say the reason the DS/team coach cant possibly sit in the passenger side and not drive is because theyd be on the wrong side of the car to talk to the riders.

but what if you were to use a right hand drive car instead...?  (rhetorical question)

Or sit in the back seat.

JohnnyRemo wrote:

The celebration was in the finish chute after coming off the course.

How do you know that?  And what about the pedestrian shown at the end of the clip, and I doubt he was the only one.  It isn't just the actual danger caused, although that is reason enough to condemn it, it's the incredible attitude of BC in seeking to excuse it for the juvenile reason of "other people do it as well" that smacks of hypocrisy and arrogance.

Where else would the team car be at the end of a road race?

JohnnyRemo wrote:

Where else would the team car be at the end of a road race?

So you don't actually know that, you're just assuming it.  And even if it was there, it's the message it sends that it's alright to watch tv, take your hands off the wheel, eyes off the road while driving.  Exactly opposite to what any responsible cycling organisation would be saying.  The fact that BC management didn't realise that shows that they haven't got the faintest idea what most cyclists have to put up with; grossly irresponsible.

eburtthebike wrote:

JohnnyRemo wrote:

Where else would the team car be at the end of a road race?

So you don't actually know that, you're just assuming it.  And even if it was there, it's the message it sends that it's alright to watch tv, take your hands off the wheel, eyes off the road while driving.  Exactly opposite to what any responsible cycling organisation would be saying.  The fact that BC management didn't realise that shows that they haven't got the faintest idea what most cyclists have to put up with; grossly irresponsible.

What it actually says is you need to get back in your box. Your comments are just an excuse for an attack on BC.

Legin wrote:

What it actually says is you need to get back in your box. Your comments are just an excuse for an attack on BC.

Where is this mythical box of which you speak?  Is it real?  Or is it some kind of obscure insult that you seem to think conclusively proves that you've won your argument?  I'm baffled, please enlighten me.  The only reason I'm attacking BC is because of their crass, arrogant, out of touch behaviour.

What position do you hold in BC management exactly?  And is it in a box?

eburtthebike wrote:

Legin wrote:

What it actually says is you need to get back in your box. Your comments are just an excuse for an attack on BC.

Where is this mythical box of which you speak?  Is it real?  Or is it some kind of obscure insult that you seem to think conclusively proves that you've won your argument?  I'm baffled, please enlighten me.  The only reason I'm attacking BC is because of their crass, arrogant, out of touch behaviour.

What position do you hold in BC management exactly?  And is it in a box?

If I knew where the box was; you'd be put back in it. Exactly what mythical BC management post do you think I hold?

Legin wrote:

If I knew where the box was; you'd be put back in it. Exactly what mythical BC management post do you think I hold?

Excuse maker in chief?  Head of distraction?  Last desperate attempt to stop criticism of the indefensible Manager?  STFU, it's BC so stop attacking them Vice CEO?  Managing director of blaming other people?

Go on, tell us what your real job is for BC; assuming it isn't one of the above.

Oh look - team cars going into finishing chute at about 25 seconds. https://www.eurosport.co.uk/cycling/world-championships/2021/road-world-...

JohnnyRemo wrote:

Oh look - team cars going into finishing chute at about 25 seconds. https://www.eurosport.co.uk/cycling/world-championships/2021/road-world-...

Thanks for posting that, but the main point remains; BC are happy to post videos of drivers driving dangerously, and not only not condemn it, but to excuse it; crass, arrogant, stupid.  Not the behaviour of any responsible cycling club.

I'll tell you the only reason I can see it was the diversion for motors only after the finish line, the turning circle of the car, the lack of fans and the fact that there is a video of the motors being diverted... https://www.eurosport.co.uk/cycling/world-championships/2021/road-world-...

JohnnyRemo wrote:

Where else would the team car be at the end of a road race?

How else would we want the controller of 2 tonnes of metal to behave, regardless of location?