The Spoked Wheel

Modern cycling media with a historical lens

[The Spoked Wheel @SpokedWheel]

After stage 12 of the 2013 Tour de France, Joaquim Rodríguez sat all the way down in 11th on GC. However, the diminutive Spaniard raised his level in the 3rd week, going blow for blow with Chris Froome and Nairo Quintana in the Alps while climbing onto the final podium in Paris.

[The Spoked Wheel @SpokedWheel]

@GCKUSSfan The first individual stage that I have a clear memory of is probably stage 1 of the 2011 Tour which Philippe Gilbert won. I remember watching it at my grandparents’ house and trying to explain to everyone what was going on.

[The Spoked Wheel @SpokedWheel]

@GCKUSSfan 2010 was the 1st Tour that I watched, but I don’t have any memories of a particular stage being my first. I know I tuned in part way through the race because I saw an add on the old versus channel hyping up the battle between Schleck and Contador which looked cool.

[The Spoked Wheel @SpokedWheel]

Riccardo Zoidl rode 3 of his 4 seasons in the WorldTour for Trek, including a stretch from 2014-2015 when he represented his country as the national road racing champion of Austria.

#CouchPeloton

[The Spoked Wheel @SpokedWheel]

Emanuel Buchmann had career best legs in the 2019 Tour de France. The lanky German climbed exceptionally throughout the three weeks on his way to a 4th place in Paris, which remains the best grand tour GC result of his career.

#CouchPeloton

[Benji Naesen @BenjiNaesen]

The #Zurich2024 World Championships brought amazing winners from Tadej Pogačar to Cat Ferguson.

But for me, the overwhelming feeling is sadness and anger. Muriel Furrer's passing is another reminder that our sport is dangerous, and it's too easy to say that the dangers of our sport can't be handled much better.

Every time a cyclist dies in a race, we enter the same cycle. "The UCI mourns the loss of ..." turns into "we asked the family who wants the race to continue..." turns into "it's too early to discuss what could've prevented this". And at the end of the day, I can count the pro-safety decisions the UCI has made in the last 10 years, on a single hand.

At the Giro d'Italia, Jenthe Biermans crashed into a ravine, and the only reason he was found quickly was because the riders in his group used their radio to tell their team car where he crashed. Meanwhile, the UCI wants to ban race radios.

Why does the UCI not apply their own Parcours Guidelines which state downhill finishes and bends in sprints shouldn't happen? This actively leads to more crashes and sprint deviations.

Why did the creation of the SafeR organisation turn into a political game within the AIGCP, postponing the creation of said organisation, postponing safety improvements in the sport? Who is prioritising politics over safety?

Is there a centralised database of rider crashes which can be analysed, from which the conclusions can be used by race organisers to make their parcours safer?

Why are race organisers often not held accountable for parcours safety issues?

Is there currently research and development being done on rider tracking, crash alerts, concussion detection technology, anti-cut skinsuits? Is it possible for the clothing and helmet safety standards (in the rules) to increase based on this research (like standardising MIPS-like concussion reduction technologies for helmets)?

Strict rider behaviour rules should be enforced consistently. Why does Maciejuk receive a multi-month ban for his RVV 2023 incident when Wiebes did the same in Brugge-De Panne the week before, crashed a group, and wasn't penalised? Why is Reusser getting a DSQ for hindering spectators by going on a footpath when MVDP does not? This is basic rule enforcement.

Why do we not see small rule changes that could improve rider safety, like not allowing team cars to drive next to breakaways, instead having riders drop to the back of groups.

In my opinion, all stakeholders in the sport can play a role in this, but it starts with the UCI. Standardisation, application and enforcement of safety requirements, and simply, making safety the number 1 priority in the sport.

It's impossible that there are no ways to make this sport safer, and I personally feel like the UCI is not even close to doing the best they possibly can to limit the severe and fatal crashes we have seen in recent years.

I am disgusted by @DLappartient's comments, stating that 50% of rider crashes are due to rider behaviour (without any statistics to support that), a mere 2 days after Muriel Furrer crashed in the UCI World Championships. This sums up the UCI's lack of accountability when it comes to safety, to the point that I'm shocked these people can look in the mirror at the end of the day.

It's already too late to be proactive, but we shouldn't wait on the next cyclist to die before making the necessary changes in the sport.

It's impossible to prevent every accident in this sport, but any measures that could reduce or prevent severe/fatal injuries, should be pursued with the utmost priority.

Cycling needs safety reform. It needed it 5 years ago.

[Team Bahrain Victorious @BHRVictorious]

In loving memory. Today and every day, we ride for you, Gino! #rideforGino

[The Spoked Wheel @SpokedWheel]

@BenjiNaesen

[The Spoked Wheel @SpokedWheel]

Mathieu van der Poel becomes the 11th man in history to win the Flanders - Roubaix double. In some style too in the rainbow bands. Tremendous achievement for the Dutchman.

#RvV #ParisRoubaix

[The Spoked Wheel @SpokedWheel]

Winners of the RvV - PR double

H. Suter (1923)
R. Gijssels (‘32)
G. Rebry (‘34)
R. Impanis (‘54)
F. De Bruyne (‘57)
R. Van Looy (‘62)
R. De Vlaeminck (‘77)
P. Van Petegem (2003)
T. Boonen (‘05, ‘12)
F. Cancellara (‘10, ‘13)

Will a rider join this list in 2024?

#CouchPeloton

[The Spoked Wheel @SpokedWheel]

I would say this is a video game performance from Mathieu van der Poel but even with 85 cobbles you can’t exit Carrafour de l’Arbre with a 3 minute advantage on the chasers 🤯

#ParisRoubaix

[The Spoked Wheel @SpokedWheel]

We are all Stefan Küng 🇨🇭
#ParisRoubaix

[The Spoked Wheel @SpokedWheel]

Mick van Dijke doing the ride of his life to stay with MvdP, Philipsen and Pedersen through Arenberg

#ParisRoubaix

[Jen Lewis (JensCyclingArt) @Jenlewis20]

It’s @parisroubaix day!!
And it’s competition time again! 🤩🚴🏼‍♂️🪨

If you’d like to be in with the chance of winning an A4 Paris Roubaix print:

1. Follow me
2. Retweet

Winner announced tonight. Good Luck! 🍀

(competition also on Instagram)
#parisroubaix #hellofthenorth

[The Spoked Wheel @SpokedWheel]

With Paris-Roubaix fast approaching, who does #CyclingTwitter have taking the victory in the velodrome on Sunday?

#ParisRoubaix #CouchPeloton

[Mihai Simion @faustocoppi60]

The all smiles podium of the 2024 edition of @RoubaixFemmes .

🥇 🇧🇪 Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx - Protime) 🏆
🥈 🇮🇹 Elisa Balsamo (Lidl - Trek)
🥉 🇬🇧 Pfeiffer Georgi (dsm-firmenich PostNL)

#ParisRoubaixFemmes

[The Spoked Wheel @SpokedWheel]

@writebikerepeat This is why Paris-Roubaix is so good every single year!

[The Spoked Wheel @SpokedWheel]

She looked out of it for a while but Pfeiffer Georgi secured the well deserved podium in the end. She personified the “never stop riding” Roubaix mindset today, both in the chase to get back to the front group and in the sprint.

#ParisRoubaix #ParisRoubaixFemmes

[The Spoked Wheel @SpokedWheel]

Pfeiffer Georgi looks really good today, a podium is definitely possible for her

#ParisRoubaix #ParisRoubaixFemmes

[Mihai Simion @faustocoppi60]

When you find out that you are on the podium of Paris-Roubaix. 😍 I'm actually very happy for Pfeiffer Georgi even if she beat Vos. She did a great race coming back like two times to the front. #ParisRoubaixFemmes

[The Spoked Wheel @SpokedWheel]

What a finish, Lotte Kopecky times her sprint to perfection to win #ParisRoubaix in the rainbow bands!

#ParisRoubaixFemmes

[The Spoked Wheel @SpokedWheel]

Great ride by Georgi to come back to the front group

#ParisRoubaix #ParisRoubaixFemmes