Caleb Ewan CRASHING OUT PETER SAGAN in Tour de France Stage 3 2021

[@genaddi1234]

"the sky turning as black as my mood after this stage" right on point

[@thiscocks]

@@NiekBrokkelkoek completely avoidable if they hadn't made mistakes.

[@LesgoBrandon7]

Rubbin is racing boys.

[@richardandrewsmall]

"This cyclocross guy leading them out" 😂😂

[@elifriedman317]

made me briefly forgot how shit this stage was...until ewan and sagan crashed

[@gsipp00]

Yeah not only cc guy but when have you ever seen the Yellow Jersey lead out the sprint Z?

[@richardandrewsmall]

@@gsipp00 Wiggins leading out Cav in Paris was pretty epic…

[@motron1845]

Is sprinting five bike lengths ahead really a lead out?

[@escamunicha4276]

@@gsipp00 Ganna did it in the Giro

[@jobserboy]

I hate to be hyperbolic but crashes have already defined this years entire tour.

[@oliverreithsrensen7062]

It’s sucks but that is TDF look at 2014 where Froome and Contador crashed out, looking as strong if not stronger than Nibali.

[@HarryNohara]

It’s nothing new though.

[@onceltom]

@@HarryNohara IT SELLS.

[@ohorok2]

Ewan is id*ot and cannot ride.

[@trentjanszmusic]

@@ohorok2 The sprinter's mentality is usually 'Bouquet or Bandages' you'll rarely see then brake.....obviously this time it's clear to suggest it's Ewan's error, but why is the a bend in the road!? Surely the last 150 meters should be straight as an arrow....

[@firewolfninja694]

We love a LR daily upload

[@benboughton1]

Your analysis is genuinely the best out there. Keep up the good work

[@secretagent86]

Chris Horner is on par with LR imo. two of the very best

[@Blog4Justice]

Terrific analysis and top-drawer editing. Those stills are mint. 👍🇬🇧

[@charliecheesman]

So many crashes during the stage is ridiculous

[@cianmckeaney3608]

it’s the same every year. tdf is just so much more intense than every other race

[@LF-hj8kk]

@@cianmckeaney3608 But I guess the parcours going through a narrow twisty country road downhill in the last 10 kms of the first sprint stage of the tour does not help one bit.

[@javierlandaverde4108]

especially for big name riders like Chirs Froome, Tony Martin, Petr Sagan to name a few.

[@medleyshift1325]

I agree, it's not even fun to watch these bloodbaths so early in the race. What's the point? To needlessly endanger the riders? We all love tight sprints and dangerous mountain descents but this is just ridiculous!

[@onceltom]

@@medleyshift1325 IT'S A ROMAN CIRCUS.

[@pauljansen1137]

So sad to see these first 3 stages having such a huge (negative) impact on this year's tour de France....

[@BryenGraver]

Really hurts my heart. Today was really hard to watch.

[@lexloen9626]

Agreed.

[@craigmurray5367]

What ? Crashing is the best part of these giant pelotons tho... what do they expect

[@zmillington]

“Alpecin Train - good hair”

[@whatwelearned]

Next thing to cause Thomas to fall off: a pigeon with a look of vengeance in his eyes

[@Materazzi73]

A dog sneezing somewhere in the distance...

[@newtoncountry5937]

I fell out of my chair just reading this comment lol

[@SaminHam]

@@newtoncountry5937 be careful. The vengeful pigeon must be near!

[@RB..1]

😡 🐦 🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@nigelstead8424]

a particularly attractive sheep

[@pogiwoggy]

Loving these recaps with the race footage, tweets/riders' statements and nice details in the analysis! Could hardly be better

[@cesarjom]

Wow excellent summary and pictures of key moments in stage 3. Great job as usual!

[@epincion]

That crash of Thomas was due to inattention. He was riding with one hand on the bars and half turned talking to someone next to him when he hit the bump and lost control. Feel gutted for Gesink who had no chance of avoiding going over the top of Thomas.

[@markdwelchforcongress4456]

Great riders have great responsibility.

[@GDF07]

Of the 4 crashes today, I reckon only 1 can really be blamed on the course itself - the ridiculous downhill into left hander that took out Jack Haig. Gee's crash was completely his own fault, nothing to do with the course. Rogla fell because of Colbrelli straight up bumped him off the road on a straight - yes it was a narrow road, so maybe 20% of the blame can go to the course, but if everyone held their line, Rogla would have been fine, so rider error is the biggest culprit. And even though the bends complicated the sprint, Ewan fell because he clipped Merlier's wheel, which he could have done on a dead straight piece of road - again rider error, I don't think the slight bend caused the crash. The technical lead in made the sprint a bit more messy and disorganized, but it's not like they crashed because guys overcooked a corner. I also felt pretty upset after the stage though. No one wants to see crashes, and I feel like we were robbed of some quality riders today. But I don't think the course is completely to blame. I think some blame has to go to riders being nervous, and making mistakes. But if I'm overlooking something, please let me know so I can join the UCI hate party.

[@tillyvanilly7015]

The finish was ridiculous for the first sprint finish of the tour. You can pull this in week 3, when there are less riders anyway. But a technical finish like this is really problematic. I agree with you that the crashes were not due to the course directly, but the psychological component was so impactful. The GC riders need to survive until 3 km to go, the sprinters need to be there to contest. Therefore everybody wants to be up front. This is what causes these crashes. (GT’s Crash not included). Then, there is the high-speed sprint downhill with some corners. Ewan had no where to go being slightly faster than Melier. But Melier chose his path smartly, no blame on him. It was just bad luck in the situation. I feel like it was kind of good that there weren’t so many riders left out front, otherwise this crash would have taken out so many, but at any rate: The course definitely is to blame partially for all of the crashes within the last 10 km, due to the stress it imposed in the peloton. The riders union suggested to the ASO to take times at 10 km to go. Would have been a good solution. Otherwise, you can not organize a downhill sprint. And I don’t want to be “that guy”, but overall it reminds me of Groenewegen-Jakobsen in Pologne. Obviously, race organizers did not learn anything from that. The reason for that being that the organizers are never blamed (or punished), when endangering riders’ health. Therefore, it’s up to the riders to protest such things. A good statement would be for them not to race today until like 10 km before the finish. Just cruise easily, 35 km/h pace, no break. The organizers would be furious. That’s how protest works.

[@pjetrs]

yeah but you have to consider this: teams know the last few K are pretty dangerous, so they are already nervous and try to be in the front way before they even got there. That is why often these crashes happen even before the actual dangerous roads begin.

[@MDP1702]

I disagree with Ewan. Ewan looks to have more than enough space to come beside Merlier before the bent, but due to the bent Merlier moves more inwards (though from his perspective going straight onto the next section, suddenly closing Ewan's gap. Ofcourse this isn't Merliers fault, since he went straight according to the last section, the last section just wasn't straight compared to the section before. So yes, I fully blame the stage planning for Ewans fall. As for Roglic, yes the stage planning is at fault. You don't send a full peloton on such small roads only a few km from sprint that is right after a descending section, you are just asking for problems. You know that in the last 10km you'll get some unrest of people trying to be well positioned, especially on these kind of roads where a fall is very much possible and would hold you up if you are too far back, or even might involve you. The last 10km should have been on reasonably flat terrain with proper large roads and a finish line that is straight for at least the last 400-500m.

[@thiscocks]

@@MDP1702 No he rode into the back of him. Pretty fucking simple

[@thiscocks]

I dont think the Haig one can be blamed on the course either. Yes it was a reasonably sharp turn but someone mis-juged it and went into someone else. It's not like no one has ever had to negotiate a tricky turn in the bunch before. If this is so dangerous then lets never do Paris Roubaix again. All blame has to go to the riders.

[@matthewk3233]

Didn't see the Haig crash on tv, good job showing the helicopter shot of it. Looked like it wasn't his fault, unfortunate for him was his first time to show himself in a Grand Tour.

[@muzza_r]

Very clear and informative analysis - thank you.

[@robertlauber9021]

Seems like a lot of guys elected to skip racing during the crucial buildup to Le Tour to minimize risk and avoid burnout. Can’t help wondering if that came at the cost of race confidence and bike handling. Total carnage either way and now we’re all scanning the ranks for the Caruso equivalent. Fuglsang? Uran? Excellent content as always LR and Benji Oliver Naesen. Godspeed

[@adamdickinson2894]

That's a good shout actually, I'd not thought of that but I reckon it's having an effect - most of these crashes are just rider error

[@erickLguzman]

Proper way to discuss today’s stage

[@cehlers41]

Once again, spot on analysis. I can't believe how many idiots are out there claiming this and that, and are completely wrong. Kudos LR.

[@jobserboy]

That cyclo-cross guy gave a nice leadout

[@quxify]

The other cyclo-cross guy also did a pretty good sprint huh i mean 1st is not to bad.

[@joewakelin198]

What's his name again I forgot

[@samuel8664]

It was super impressive he sent them on the moon

[@Peakabike]

Yeah, not sure about the tone of the comment in the video, uncalled for, at best

[@LewisRawlinson30]

Big question to ASO, why is there a left to right S bend 200m before the end of a known sprint stage. Asking for trouble!!!

[@Pandastico0]

same with the haig crash...why tf is there a chicane on a narrow downhill with 4km to go in a sprint stage?!?

[@brucegelman5582]

Its racing...its supposed to be dangerous

[@LewisRawlinson30]

@@brucegelman5582 it is inherently dangerous but it shouldn't be made more dangerous on purpose.

[@oldoddjobs]

The probability of an event that has already happened is 1

[@PierreC2]

Your cycling reports are the best ever...congrat to you..

[@hisdadjames4876]

Stay strong, LR. Just sit on Benji’s wheel for a few clicks and he’ll make sure you stay in yellow💪.

[@nathantang9964]

definitely the most action packed start to the tour I’ve seen, very interesting but unfortunate at times

[@marks3620]

There’s been enough crashes in the first 3 days to last the whole tour it’s been crazy.

[@paddydunne774]

Oh Pat feel for you mate. That run in was hectic. It’s just how racing is on Brittany roads. Caleb getting through those gaps just to stay up there was heart in the mouth moments. On thé Colbrelli incident. Definitely need to see from the overhead what started the move. I’m erring on Colbrelli was cannoned into Roglic. As the force her went out the side looks more like a canon than a shove. I hope it’s wasn’t anything malicious. Glad you got your sense of humour intact fella Really appreciate the way you are de-constructing the stages

[@evanmacdougall9715]

The UCI / ASO can redesign the courses all they want, but I don't think cycling fans want to see every race moved to riding on a perfectly straight 3-4 lane super highway or race tracks. And even if they did, riders are not giving each other an inch and there would still be crashes - and then the riders would blame the organizers for the poor pavement conditions. This is really a no-win situation for the race organizers. Outside of the fan-caused crash, the rest of the crashes have all been rider caused, and would likely have happened on just about any course. Races have been run on wide and narrow roads for decades. Why are narrow roads suddenly a problem? The roads may play a small part, but largely it's because of how the riders are choosing to ride during the races.

[@_b0h4z4rd7]

If classement riders don't have to ride on the head of the peloton to save any seconds could solve some problems. They could get the same time as the peloton and drop off 5km before the finish line. Then much less teams and riders would be riding on the head of the peloton. And for today, the organization is to blame for that descent right ahead of the final kilometers. That route was simply ridiculous for a stage planned for a mass sprint.

[@Paul020]

Too damn many riders. Daily crashes don't make for good racing. There is always some danger, but this is ridiculous.

[@ianism3]

I think there's a middle ground here. today's finish was badly designed, but it's been made to look worse because of how many big crashes there were. Roglic falling was a bit of a freak accident, as getting so close that your handlebars tangle is unusual (though it would've helped if they had been on a slightly wider road). same with the Saga/Ewan crash - not really anyone's fault, it's something that happens in sprinting. the one on the corner that took out Jack Haig though. that one I think was very preventable by the organisers. a narrow downhill corner with 8km to go on a sprint stage? not a good look.

[@retiixx]

Maybe extend the 3km rule for tortuous finishes to like 10k. So all GC guys and non sprinters can drop off. That would be at least 100 riders

[@mikelyons8288]

BULLSHIT CALEB'S CRASH WAS CAUSED BU UCI MORONS ALLOWING A BEND SO CLOSE TO THE FINISH LINE😡🙄😷🇮🇪.

[@patrickd8135]

Damn. Ewan really screwed Sagan because he took a bad line. Sagan was in a great spot

[@abcD-wf9yr]

He really was but i kind of also feel bad for ewan, idk if someone could tell me what he could have done better in this situation, but incredibly sad for sagan, he came in with the perfect position and based on the cadence i saw from him (his cadence was much lower than merliers) i think he was about to launch and could have taken it i think. It could have been such a exciting sprint: sagan (in a spectecular form currently) vs. Ewan and merlier, both in phenomenal shape as well. It really broke my heart to see this

[@patrickd8135]

@@abcD-wf9yr yeah my comment was unintentionally heartless. Really rough for Ewan

[@abcD-wf9yr]

@@patrickd8135 i really feel bad for the guy, he gets all the blame, i mean he was responsible for it. But i cant be mad at him because we know that the nerves layed blank today, very difficult finish, the front group was driving it super fast, the poor guys probably all had a heart rate over 200 in the last 3 minutes. Super unfortunate and ewan is a super professional guy, i dont think anyone could have done better than him in this situation, what a shame, fuck the course administration

[@cehlers41]

That may be, but no one was going to beat Merlier today. This crash had major green points implications.

[@Garnizzle]

@@abcD-wf9yr Hated seeing Merlier coming across the line with his finger over his lips. Like.."Shhhh...noone mention the fact that Caleb Ewan just gifted me this stage win by taking Sagan out"

[@bikingviking3984]

Sagan was in complete control the whole time, amazing...

[@alenahronska6087]

He is professional, cycles well and is prudent. A pleasure to watch.

[@douglaspate9314]

Brilliant analysis!! So sad to see two guys I know and respect, Robert Gesink and Jack Haig, forced to abandon.

[@scubascott1098]

I'm not going to watch cycling anymore if they don't address the blaring rider safety issues. How many races have been ruined by favorites crashing out. Crashes are not a sporting spectacle, they are horrific accidents that need to be prevented to keep young riders safe and healthy. The sport (and this tour) would be MUCH more interesting if rider safety was the priority in designing routes for races.

[@JustinMayfield]

At least we don't have to worry about dangerous sock height, super tucking and resting arms on the bars anymore. /s

[@ChildRebelSoldiers]

@Mary Lamb what's your point dude??? Just cause riders gut insurance doesn't mean they ain't supposed to finish the tour. If roglic would've gotten banged up a bit more this tour would be pretty much decided after day 3... Insurance would've paid the same amount though🤦‍♂️

[@tomdarrington]

Crashes during sprints are almost inevitable, even if the sprint was a straight line, redesigning routes would not change that, when you are going 50mph and you touch someone's back wheel, you are done for and getting a lead-out is a key aspect of the sport. The fact that the courses use real roads throughout Europe and very long means it's very difficult to avoid the occasional bottleneck if the peloton gets there together. The only solution is to hold all races in places like Dubai, where the roads are long and wide, but I'm sure you will agree, it's not riveting to watch. I don't see an easy solution without heavily altering the sport.

[@ChildRebelSoldiers]

@@tomdarrington well you could "neutralise" stages like today where there is maximum speed on the last 10k on narrow roads with lots of bends. Get the GC guys+ their helpers out of the game by just "neutralising" the GC times at 10k to go and let the sprinters teams do their job?!

[@Pandastico0]

@@tomdarrington they don't need to do the finish of sprint stages in the city centre where you only get to by going through 10 roundabouts or a narrow downhill like today

[@eo2077]

Great coverage, subbed.

[@adriancronin533]

Excellent vid, what a day! subbed

[@thisishowthetruthdies684]

There is a slow motion video on Twitter that shows what happened. Ewan tried to force Sagan off Merlier's wheel and he and Sagan bump together (irresistible force meets immovable object). This puts Ewan off balance/ out of control just enough so can't avoid riding up into Merlier's wheel. Totally Ewan's fault. I'm sorry that he was injured but he had no business doing what he was doing. If you are going to try and bump someone off a wheel then you need to leave yourself some out if he refuses to move.

[@garthly]

It looked to me as if Ewan had no choice; go into the barrier or barge left. Is it okay for Merlier (or his leadout) to cut the corner like that?

[@hugovanderwel]

@@garthly yes it is perfectly allowed

[@rumpwrangler1102]

I was watching it live and seen that. As Caleb was coming up he was already leaning to his left before he was beside Sagan. The aerial footage was the best angle.

[@rumpwrangler1102]

@@garthly yes because they were coming into a turn, if this was a straight away then he would have to keep his line

[@methylmike]

These breakdowns are so good

[@MadMaxer77]

That Good Hair team looking pretty strong this year

[@texwallis]

Great recap! Looked like a perfect storm for Ewan. Sagan bumped him a little to the right (which is fine), then he seemed to try to correct back to the left just as Merlier took that corner and got out of the saddle. But he was obviously to close to Merlier there and really has nobody to blame. And who the hell gives thumbs down to these great videos? That actually pisses me off.

[@velomaniaromania]

Alpecin still there up in standings :) To bad for Sagan ... could win this stage :)

[@kasimirdenhertog3516]

7:02 classic cycling dynamics: when he gets up from the saddle, the speed dips, they cross wheels and it’s done

[@gbye007]

Excellent coverage. Best of the lot.

[@captainsushi24]

Poor Haig - I'll remember him as top 5 on GC regardless

[@trentvlak]

Why is he poor? He caused his own crash.

[@trentjanszmusic]

@@trentvlak He caused his own crash? There was a ridiculous sharp bend on a downhill section within 10km of the finish, all the teams are aiming to be well positioned for their sprint/GC guys.......If Haig/Bahrain didn't crash someone else would have. There was no protection from the unfortunate spectators (children included) on the exact apex of the corner which copped a few riders and their bikes at full speed crashing into the crowd. Luckily everyone involved is going to be okay, but what if a rider's bike were to kill or seriously injure a spectator due to the dangerous downhill corner crash....would you still blame Haig or any other rider?

[@trentvlak]

@@trentjanszmusic Both Haig and Ewan caused their own crashes by not paying attention. Notice how everyone else makes the turn fine until Out Of Control Haig clips a wheel

[@captainsushi24]

@@trentvlak The course was pegged as unsafe from the outset - a crash was inevitable

[@trentvlak]

@@captainsushi24 "pegged as unsafe" these words are meaningless.

[@ddthompson42]

I wish I could frame that photo at 3:11 for my stationary setup. Having T. Martin all taped up and staring at you like that... that'll get you moving! LOL

[@TheCnoonan123]

ALAPHILIPPE IN THE MAILLOT VERT THE REAL REASON SAM BENNETT WAS NOT BROUGHT TO THE LE TOUR DE FRANCE

[@Mirongawaritane]

If that is the case, Deceuninck team management are playing a dirty game, saying that Sam Bennett called off himself, with the excuse that he'd had a slight injury, therefor not trained enough, and not fit to ride the tour. Managment very disappointed in him, also for Sam Bennett's failure to communicate better, so they called up Marc Cavendish at the last moment. Who is telling the truth ?

[@driver9337]

Ewan was reckless as hell in his sprint on Stage 3 last year, swerving to the right of Sagan through a very tight space. He got away with it then, and everyone gushed about what a great and daring sprint it was. So today he tried a very similar move, and it bit him hard. No sympathy for Ewan. Unfortunately, Sagan once again paid the price for another rider's recklessness.

[@klausklaus2119]

Bro u must be a troll 😂

[@lodevandemaele]

Let me exlain Ewan’s move: he is locked tight between the barriers, Merliers rear tire and Sagan on his left. Instead of waiting the end of the right corner to find space between the barriers and Merlier for his final kick, he prefers to squeeze himself between Merlier en Sagan, so Sagan has to turn wider through the corner. Allthough, just as he kicks and drifts to the left, Merlier kicks as well. And if you do grouprides, you will know that a rider who lifts his bump from the saddle ( en danseuse) has a very short moment of slowing down. On that exact moment, Ewan had his bike drifting from right side to the left side of Merlier and his front tire touching Merliers rear tire. Rest is history

[@jerseyforhawks]

Exactly, ban Ewan.

[@viliamholak9029]

For Evans no sympathy and Penalty Stop riding bike on race for 3 years minimum!!!

[@klausklaus2119]

@@viliamholak9029 he only crashed because the rider Infront got slower u trolls. It is legal to take the inside lane. U dont know the rules😭

[@Drunk_Whale]

David Lappartient, the president of the UCI was born in Pontivy. Wouldn't be surprised if better suited finishes were ignored to please an official.

[@charliedillon1400]

I'm quite sure the local municipalities have a lot of influence on route planning in all races. There's a lot more to it than just simply using the best roads. They either want the race to finish near the cafe/bar/tourist district or they want to stay away from commercial traffic in the area as to not disrupt commerce.

[@rafaelwillems3244]

Welcome to the beautiful world of sports. Where can I puke?

[@secretagent86]

good comment LR.... the huge number of serious crashes are so unfortunate. I worry more for the safety of the riders now than who wins a stage. Geraint showed his GRIT by having a dislocated shoulder put back and carrying on. reminds me of floyd landis, although hopefully without the doping. interesting contrast between you and Chris Horner who was scathing on MVP leaving his team leader.

[@ad9898]

Was looking how Pogacar had fared on that crash, thanks for the overhead and explanation. Glad he didn't go down.

[@jimfleming8322]

Excellent analysis.

[@Chrissummerill]

Imagine the carnage if the riders were still allowed to supertuck though. There’d be no one left. Just Tony Martin. #indestructable

[@koko-lores]

No one would have been in the supertuck during those moments.

[@secretagent86]

@@koko-lores s a r c a s m koko

[@ausgaze]

lol tony is a unit hey.

[@OKden2065]

We all knew that these first few days would be pure carnage just by looking at the stages before they started. Plus it's Brittany. It's almost always rainy. To me the organizers are responsible for the crashes. Everyone in cycling has become so callous about crashes. Why does the UCI go along with this? Marc Madiot said today if we don't change, riders will get killed. This tradition of starting the tour in northern France every other year gets more dangerous every time. Losing so many top riders to injury or massive time losses makes the rest of the tour a lot less interesting. Half of the top 20 GC contenders have already lost so much time or are nursing serious wounds. All of this was predictable.

[@dilligafwoftam985]

Alternatively these are arguably the best riders in the world riding with the best riders in the world. This is just identifying the ones that aren't as good as they think they are.

[@cbmusgrave]

Completely agree. Year after year the organizers set up the course in a way that invites crashes. How many fans stop watching when their favorite rider was taken out by a completely avoidable crash?

[@StringerBell50]

Idk are they really that much more responsible than DS shouting every 30s "go in front go in front" into the ears of their guys when there is obviously no place to go for everyone, with some riders gambling their life to get a better placement before a turn? Or than the material evolving and making the peloton go a tiny bit faster every few years, etc etc.. Everyone is a bit responsible (imo) especially when we remember that the UCI tried a ban on team radio years ago and riders/teams went on strike because of it.. Also Brittany is one of the best place on earth to go racing nobody says anything when there are same tiny roads in belgium and rain is a part of road cycling.

[@veegtec]

hey but aero tuck is dangerous

[@secretagent86]

@@veegtec not as dangerous as those high socks

[@michaelmiguel7582]

Clearly all sprint stages should be held on arrow straight motorways from now on. How dare the race organisers expect cyclists to be able to turn left.

[@SpitFire_PR]

Excellent Video .. thanks !!!!!!!

[@ayEtionroids]

I don't understand people blaming the UCI and ASO for crash marred stages. This stage was docile compared to some we've seen in the past. Sure it had a downhill run into the line, but at some point don't the riders need to take some blame for crashes? Like the final crash was purely Ewan's fault. I can't blame the ASO for a bend in the road. And the Roglic crash wasn't on a particularly dangerous portion of road, so again, not the ASO's fault.

[@adamdickinson2894]

I completely agree

[@santiagobenites]

That was wild how Pogacar just managed to ride around everyone in that crash. Either he got very lucky, or he's blessed! LOL

[@l.d.t.6327]

He actually rode over a crashed rider's foot if you watch closely (with one foot out of the pedal, so not the whole body weight) :-)

[@santiagobenites]

@@l.d.t.6327 The kid's got skills ;)

[@ianism3]

cooler heads prevail. but mostly he could see the crash unfold in front of him pretty clearly (they were going downhill) and so had time to break.

[@thebrowns5337]

Or he used his eyes?

[@1ddenis1]

I love that you cut the video of a crash where Pogacar is in such a rush that he doesn't even care about people lying on ground and he literally drives over rider feet who is on the ground, so disrespectful

[@apokerasi]

nice work laterne

[@XJevoX]

Seriously, how many times has Ewan crashed like a rookie? He might have a power, but his positioning and his sprinting instinct is on amateur level.

[@Bangkok.eye.automotive]

Horner said the opposite and this was the first time he broke a bone...

[@SuperExtraSheep]

Looks like Sagan was lying on Caleb's back wheel while sliding on tarmac, saving some skin on his back. Hopefully he won't be to banged up!

[@willp5002]

If they want to have technical finishes like this they need to reduce the number of riders. If they want more riders then they need to make the routes safer. Same with the giro. Crashes during sprints need to be avoided like the plague. Rider safety should be the number one priority not technical finishes.

[@alexandreboyenval3140]

I respectfully disagree. Riders have brains, a road book (not to mention Google map), and staff. They altought have brake on their bikes. Road is narrow, they have to brake. This is road cycling, and the road is clear, without tricks, and the macadam is probably new (thanks to the french DDE). Of course crash need to be avoided, but this is by far the responsibility of the riders.

[@Snuzzcumber]

@@alexandreboyenval3140 riders want to win. Similar to motorsports, putting their lives at risk. It's for the organisers to think rationally before the race to set it up a safely as possible. Riders will always push the limits.

[@thebrowns5337]

Oh come on. Why do people keep wanting a sanitised, could call it fake, road race? Man alive. I doubt the riders will admit they have power and stamina but no skill - staying upright on a road race is part of it. Yes, accidents happen but if the guys feel they need perectly smooth surfaces and controlled climate they need to enter races on an indoor velodrome...not the TDF!

[@Snuzzcumber]

@@thebrowns5337 interesting that you suggest there is a link of excitement to safety here that a safe race is a boring one. Or have I got that wrong. Why not relentlessly strive for both?

[@willp5002]

@@thebrowns5337 So a crash free race is “fake”. The realest form of sprinting is a straight, flat final. The way to keep a race exciting is to have all the sprinter competing fairly and safely for the entire race. As a result of yesterday’s finish we have lost a key sprinter and thus “sanitised” the sprints slightly for the rest of the tour. Crashes are part of racing but it doesn’t mean every effort shouldn’t be made to prevent them. It’s not about wanting a sanitised race, it’s the opposite. I want to see all the sprinters make it to Paris and competing in all the sprints along the way…. That’s a proper race.

[@ericostling7410]

Dude, Lanterne, this is what happens in the first days of Le Tour, even the first week - crashes. Riders are on edge, not fully in sync, teams not used to each other, even within the teams themselves. Even top-tier guys like GT, Roglic etc missing a beat here and there - and paying for it. With unexpected total bummer casualties too, people like Ewan, Haig going out. I could dig up plenty of historical examples of this and might do so later. But once a daily rhythm gets established after the first rest day things start to smooth out, even for the later sprint stages. And we don't like it, it really sucks, but this always happens, it defines the atmosphere for later weeks of the tour. Spot-on with the Pogacar observation and shout-out, by the way. There's a reason he won last time, and may likely do so again.

[@rossfripp4503]

There have been a crazy amount of crashes this year so far!

[@JP-nn4jw]

At this rate we're going to be watching the final stages with only 20 ppl left in the race...

[@oosung]

1) Safety looks like its taken too lightly by the Tour. Why is GC contender, Ineos' Carapaz in the mix 5:27? Any crowding at the front will only add to the congestion, thereby increasing chances of an accident. 2) Finish line, after the last corner, distance to the finish should be longer to allow to relieve any crowding. 3) From the looks, Ewen could have tapped his brakes or taken less aggressive line.

[@GDF07]

On point 3 - Guys sprint holding the end of the drops, so there's no chance of braking (like their fingers are nowhere near the brakes). So once they commit, it's all or nothing. Only way to slow down is to stop pedaling or basically give up on the sprint. And remember this is all happening at max heart rate after a long day and at 80km/h.

[@kacperczoska3410]

2,500th like, thx for nice analysis

[@CBMcCarthy86]

I completely agree, it's hard to be excited for the GC when there are so many crashes. I want the best guy to win, for his ability and strategy. Not that he was the guy that was the only one not to be hurt.

[@vernefits1953]

feel sad for sagan

[@secretagent86]

class act, did not point fingers (instagram)

[@lazerdicks43]

Sagan is strong on the bike. You can see him muscling through the pack to get to the front, surprising riders as he comes up... they just kind of make way, cause they don’t like contact and don’t wanna crash... Sagan doesn’t care, he goes for the win whether he crashes out or not...

[@l.d.t.6327]

Lanterne Rouge. Do you think bike handling skills are lacking in some of the top GC guys because they spend a lot of time training in small groups at altitude, and not racing too much classics and prep. stage races?

[@Flakey101]

Some of it is due to upbringing. GT spent his teens as a track guy, and Roglic only came late (20) to bike racing. Also some of the most reknowned bike handlers are, or have been, cross discipline bike riders.

[@thefirstk6331]

The course was just way to dangerous dont know what the guys who planned this where thinking... You have to expect rain and if you do so you cant make an decent finish with really sharp corners. Has not much to do with lack of races. The crash yesterday goes 100% to the stupid fan, the crash with haig was because of the way to dangerous course, the crash with Ewan and Sagan was clearly Ewans fault who didnt wanted to give up his position. Only the crash with Cobrelli and Roglic was might because of your point but we dont have enought information on that.

[@psd9850]

Strange fact: crashes were not caused by Nacer Bouhanni.

[@OKden2065]

Right on about Haig being on the form of his life. What a waste to crash out on a corner that everyone knew was dangerous before the race started. Again, I blame the organizers. They are knuckleheads!

[@secretagent86]

another Chris Horner sub i see. agree. racing is dangerous enough without this shit. remember the downhill sprint at that tour of poland the other year... grrr

[@13redlion13]

I don't blame the organisers. If you put the same last 20 kms in the Vuelta it is very likely that nothing bad happens. In the tour de france there is much more tension because it's considered to be the most important race of the year, with high mediatisation and thus also increased pressure from the sponsors. This leads to more pressures from the sports directors which in turn leads to riders taking way more risks than usual. In the Giro there are stages that are extremely dangerous with worse roads than in France but you don't see the same number of crashes there.

[@jaspermeinema4830]

Saw them going into that corner, me and my friend shouting out how dangerous that looked, one second later they crash. That in a nutshell is from tv viewer point of view

[@MrYAMAHA32177]

Love the masked up photo op @7:30, a reminder to keep the fear alive.

[@deanabt]

Looking at the overhead - I think Merlier's wheel moved backwards a bit when he stood to sprint in the corner, and that's the precise moment Ewen's wheel touched. Impossible for sprinters to account for everything at that speed - so much luck involved - thx for the great analysis!

[@AndrewBlucher]

Also, he seems to go straight instead of turning the corner.

[@creddesignmatters6855]

Yep, when you get out of the seat you 'go backwards'...or more accurately you lose momentum for that split second...

[@ChrisCapoccia]

good explanation of the ewan-sagan crash… i saw the wheel overlap in some overhead shot but didn't catch that the road was moving left

[@bleskiven]

This Tour has started terribly. I've been feeling sad at the finish of all three stages so far

[@dieseldizzy]

Great analysis on a sad stage.

[@echtogammut]

After these last couple days, I would so paranoid about crashing I don't think I could put in a max effort. Chapeaux to these chaps for getting up and clipping in again. I know just from personal experience with crits, once I lose confidence in the riders around me or conditions my focus shifts from racing to avoidance.

[@joewakelin198]

Quintana sneaking into the top 10......

[@BryenGraver]

Going from Nairoman to Sneakyboi in three stages who woulda thought

[@JustAdelaideRacing]

The slow-mo from behind shows Ewan's front wheel hitting Merlier's JUST when Merlier stands up out of the saddle to start his sprint. As anyone who's ever done a group ride knows, when you stand up, that sends your wheel backwards about half a foot - that's where Ewan clipped.

[@zzhughesd]

Skittles day , totally insane.... I literally cannot believe after a busy work day bang on a 3 min YT highlight to find G down, Rog down, Haig out, Ewan & Sagan down at finish, what the hell happened day, Haig and Ewan out, and they say Rugby is hard Knox

[@liamkiernan8011]

Geraint Thomas keeping up his 100% crash success

[@patrickj4747]

Cobrelli was doing some arm waving after the Roglic crash.

[@m.k.s.p.7746]

Colbrelli said he raised his arm out of fear ... (Colbrelli must know that he knocked Roglic down.... Roglic flew to the left, perpendicular to the direction the peloton was traveling...)

[@brucegelman5582]

Guilt wave

[@brucegelman5582]

@@m.k.s.p.7746 guilt wave

[@hilltop1972]

No fun watching a race that is defined much more by who can stay off the pavement, then by who's legs are best.

[@jossemckenney]

Does Merlier go for the 3 stage wins at the 3 grand tours now?

[@trentjanszmusic]

I would love to see that, however as Alpecin are only a pro-conti team, they may not be invited to ride at La Vuelta (which favours the Spanish pro-conti teams as wildcards)

[@attybong]

i think caleb went for an opening that wasn't there .. causing his front wheel to overlap with merlier's rear wheel .. poor sagan, the collateral casualty ..

[@BryenGraver]

I feel the same sentiment that you expressed in the last couple seconds. Ewan, Haig, Soler on stage 1, watching Roglic, Thomas, and Froome hit the deck as they did, and the dozens of other, lesser names who've had to abandon as a result of all these. I'm still trying to make sense of it (outside of the fan incident) as so many of them seem to be caused by wheel touching. I'm sure course design has a lot to do with it (wtf designed this one and approved it??), but I just wonder if there are other mental factors at play here that are underlying causes. Regardless, painful to watch, hard to celebrate for much at this point.

[@AndrewSmith-cd5zf]

I thought that Merlier chopped Calebs wheel, but your review showed that he held the line through the corner. Either Caleb was in the wrong spot, the barriers were incorrect or someone was in the super tuck. If you review the footage clearly Caleb and Sagan adopted the super tuck position as they slid along the road..

[@jayjam9106]

Ground Thomas

[@AndrewRasmussenRides]

Tim stood up just before the wheels crossed. Guessing that was a substantial factor in Caleb's crash. So gutted for him

[@GDF07]

Also saw that. Caleb was probably a few cm's away from his back wheel, and when he stood up, his bike moving back must have closed the gap

[@smdiary2965]

Tdf this year is crazy, the goal this year is not to be a champion, but finish the tour in one piece with none broken bones

[@db613]

George Hincapie said GT is out of the tour but I can't see that anywhere

[@Flakey101]

Ineos are still saying they will judge his condition in the morning and nothing is broken. So it is probbaly just a guess by Hincapie.

[@nickmullen2830]

Pretty sure he said he didnt dope as well. Cant really believe him as a source.

[@db613]

@@Flakey101 maybe meant out of GC contention...🤔

[@db613]

@@nickmullen2830 😆, but he has repented and I like him over Lance who has no changed

[@Wepener]

5:25 Alpecin Train - Good hair 🤣

[@Terrierized]

Yes the feelings are quite down There's been enough crashes to cover three weeks already.. Keep hammering Jack and Caleb 🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺 get well soon guys

[@cjSamuil]

What a carnage stage it was... Never seen in one day so many crashes.

[@SuperVapourizer]

I think a big problem the main problem are the variety of interests at the first few stages and how this increases overall competetiveness. You have the classics guys going for the first few stages with some of them as potential threats in GC, which causes the GC guys to ride along. Thus making a stage, which normally would be interesting for a few teams only, basically a case for the entire peloton. Overall it feels like this years course demands GC riders to become more active much earlier. This is actually not a bad thing, I enjoy it very much, to be honest. But, as we can see, all this leads to even more tension, ultimately also to more crashes.

[@dewithistlewood3440]

Such a shame for the Aussies Haig and Ewan, both looked so promising after the first weekend.

[@seppoleonvervloet132]

O connor also lost a lot of time already sadly enough. I thought he would do very well in GC this year

[@JBLFC92]

Maybe I'm just really callous, but the overall negative reaction to the stages this year seems very over the top. I swear the Tour is not any different compared to years ago, but it's just that people complain more (perhaps exacerbated by social media). I think there are a few small changes that could be made to make it safer, but I fail to see how you can make major changes without completely dumbing down the sport as a whole. And I feel like competitive athletes will always push things to the limit anyway We see loads of crashes on long descents, for example - the riders aren't going slow to make sure they don't crash; they're going as fast as they can to try and win. Obviously, we all want sportsmen to be safe, but sport requires a certain amount of risk and physicality. Specifically regarding today, it seemed that 3 of the 4 crashes were down to simple rider error. Everyone's now claiming they're Nostradamus and saw loads of crashes coming this year - we've had 6 (I think) significant crashes so far. 2-3 were rider error (depends whether you consider Ewan's an error or just an incident that sometimes occurs in sprints), 1 was just on a simple straight, and 1 was a freak incident caused by an unbelievably dumb "fan". Even with the other crash, I'm not sure it had anything particularly to do with the stage route, unless you want the last 15k to always be a wide, straight road. It just suggests to me that things have simply been slightly unlucky so far.

[@brucegelman5582]

Nothing new...just more whiners who cant help themselves from tossing their mindless overreacting 2 cents in.

[@joeviloria2494]

That cyclocross guy could have taken another stage for himself but the better of him of course played the role of leading out. It is a shame I did not see Sagan take the stage. I hope Ewan heals in good time.

[@keanu8862]

Hate to see those crashes it breaks my heart specially the 2 beast sprinters goes down (Ewan & Sagan)

[@lindamnguni]

If it was Sagan that caused that crash Benji would be ripping him to shreds for half the podcast. We see u Benji 🤣 Anyways I hope Ewan is ok

[@AP-wd6dv]

😂true. Imagine if it was Alaphilippe...

[@LF-hj8kk]

I guess there is no point throwing Ewan under the bus even more, he aready is injured and cannot participate in his biggest objective this season. The move was dangerous as we saw but it only took Sagan who seems fine (has he ever been injured in his life ?). I guess Sagan wouldn't complain, I bet he finds the move completely legal hahaha.

[@jrspinner]

@@LF-hj8kk Sagan is made of iron!

[@bjsr126]

Vintage Sagan would have lost the plot at Ewan for that.. he couldn't have been in a better position and Ewan took a horrible line.

[@whodis5112]

I feel like there are too many rides in Le Tour? Or the routes are too narrow for such a big group? Something needs to change...

[@martinpetersen8695]

thomas de gendt made exactly this point.. big teams insist on keeping the entire 9 man squad up front, that's one of the main reasons.