Author Topic: Omloop Het Nieuwsblad  (Read 5778 times)

Re: Omloop Het Nieuwsblad
« Reply #25 on: 08 March, 2019, 09:59:11 pm »
Breakaways right from the start are always useless! :)
Emma Pooley attacked from the start of the 2009 Montreal World Cup, and stayed away to win by 1m14

Re: Omloop Het Nieuwsblad
« Reply #26 on: 18 March, 2019, 06:54:14 am »
A bit late to this...

It gets interesting in regional UK races. Round our way in the last couple of years there has been problems getting a big enough field for a women's race, but holding it on the same day as a men's race gets around some of the cost issues. Running them simultaneously has the advantage that the accredited marshals etc. only have to be around for half of the day, you are only disrupting the area you are racing in for the morning, and you don't need the hall for so long.

However, you do need twice as many cars, and additional other officials (commissaires, NEG, lead car drivers) so you aren't halving the costs.

One I did last year was supposed to have a 10 minute gap between races, but looking at the field the decision was taken to roll out together, then de-neutralise the men seconds before the women. That meant the women couldn't do a breakaway from the start, which is unlikely anyway, but they were unlikely to be lapped. It got close to the second happening :-)

Re: Omloop Het Nieuwsblad
« Reply #27 on: 03 April, 2019, 08:39:32 pm »

The mens OHN race set off with a 10 minute headstart on the womens race, but the women were so fast, they caught up with the mens race, the womens race had to be stopped. The one woman break away - Nicole Hanselmann - was given a headstart, but was soon reeled in, ending up 74th.

It's not the first time something like this has happened, there was a race in Ireland where the women set off first, then had to stop to let the mens race go past, before continuing.

It's an interesting situation. When the men catch up with the women, the women are asked to get out the way for the men. When the women catch up the men, the women have to stop and let the men get away, messing up the race for the women.

There has to be a better solution to this. Would a half hour gap be enough? An hour? Should the faster race always have right of way?

How can we prevent this?

J

Not today in Dwars door Vlaanderen:

Quote
The men's peloton was competing at the fastest-expected time of arrival, while the women's race, because of the early delays, were now racing at the slowest ETA.

The women's peloton reached the three climbs, beginning with the Kluisberg, just ahead of the men's field. In addition, two crashes that happened almost simultaneously in the women's race required emergency medical services.

Orgnaisers neutralise the men's race to avoid the two categories merging but more so, to allow for an ambulance to drive on the course to get to the crashed riders.

Re: Omloop Het Nieuwsblad
« Reply #28 on: 04 April, 2019, 10:57:00 am »
I wondered who else would spot that one.

I more general terms, some good coverage on Eurosport of the women’s alongside the men’s racing over the Belgian calendar. Compared with even 5 years ago there’s been a big change for the good.

quixoticgeek

  • Mostly Harmless
Re: Omloop Het Nieuwsblad
« Reply #29 on: 05 April, 2019, 12:14:35 pm »
Not today in Dwars door Vlaanderen:

Quote
The men's peloton was competing at the fastest-expected time of arrival, while the women's race, because of the early delays, were now racing at the slowest ETA.

The women's peloton reached the three climbs, beginning with the Kluisberg, just ahead of the men's field. In addition, two crashes that happened almost simultaneously in the women's race required emergency medical services.

Orgnaisers neutralise the men's race to avoid the two categories merging but more so, to allow for an ambulance to drive on the course to get to the crashed riders.

Yep, I saw that. It was to allow an ambulance to reach an injured rider. Had there not been an ambulance, would they have done the same thing?

J
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Karla

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    • Lost Byway - around the world by bike
Re: Omloop Het Nieuwsblad
« Reply #30 on: 06 April, 2019, 04:38:48 am »
Errrrr, yes.  There was a blockage so they neutralised the race behind.  As always. 

quixoticgeek

  • Mostly Harmless
Re: Omloop Het Nieuwsblad
« Reply #31 on: 06 April, 2019, 08:08:50 am »
Errrrr, yes.  There was a blockage so they neutralised the race behind.  As always.

Not as always, at least one womens race in Ireland last year had to move over so the mens race behind could go past.

J
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http://b.42q.eu/

Karla

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    • Lost Byway - around the world by bike
Re: Omloop Het Nieuwsblad
« Reply #32 on: 06 April, 2019, 05:43:37 pm »
Errrrr, yes.  There was a blockage so they neutralised the race behind.  As always.

Not as always, at least one womens race in Ireland last year had to move over so the mens race behind could go past.

J

You mean the national champs in 2017 I take it?

quixoticgeek

  • Mostly Harmless
Re: Omloop Het Nieuwsblad
« Reply #33 on: 08 April, 2019, 12:12:37 am »

You mean the national champs in 2017 I take it?

Yep.

J
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Beer, bikes, and backpacking
http://b.42q.eu/