Even the Pros Do It

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Today’s stage was a heartbreaker for the three riders who rode their hardest in a breakaway only to get caught about three miles from the finish.  The real drama, though was the crash less than three kilometers from the end.  The pack was raging as the sprinters’ teams tried to get their men to the finish.  Suddenly, about thirty places back, someone went down, causing a chain reaction crash that left a swath of destruction across the entire road.  Those in front of the crash (maybe 20 riders) kept going, while everyone behind had to stop–there was simply no where to go.

It is terrible to see the bodies and bikes flying, and to see the riders limping in, holding their arms at awkward angles.  I do feel better, though, knowing it is not just in the stupid, squirrelly Cat 4 races where getting caught behind a crash is part of the game.