Sigh, this started out so well:
As ever, part of the story is about driver expectations. One witness was 'surprised' to see a cyclist on this road at that time. It is possible that few of the drivers expected to see a cyclist...and therefore they weren't looking for one. Interestingly, several of them say they thought the cyclist was an animal, and the likelihood is that they do not exert the same care driving amongst animals as they a human. After all, there are no legal consequences, nor the same level of emotional consequences for them. Several of the drivers report almost hitting/hitting Mike.
So far so good (in the post). For worse or for worse expectations are a factor.
The other side of the coin with regards to these sorts of events are the responsibilities of the cyclists.It is no good siding with all cyclists because we are cyclists.
yep, gotta look in the mirror sometimes. But then sanity goes off a cliff:
These events are races, and at the top end the winner is not necessarily going to be the rider with the strongest physical characteristics but the rider who had the least sleep. The elephant in the room is that for those intending to win, these events are a contest of sleep deprivation.
Utter bollocks. The winner is the person who covers the ground fastest in the time they are not dealing with admin. Admin includes sleeping, eating, mechanicals etc etc.
How would we feel if there were solo driving events across continents with no enforced sleep breaks, and drivers driving dangerously tired, with the similar risks to driving drunk?
We've been there. Endurance racing such as Le Mans, rallying including the Lombard RAC or the Monte Carlo used to be all in. It turned out that gentlemen drivers were killing themselves and bystanders at rates indistinguishable from the professionals. Get tired cycling you slow down. Get tired driving a car you slow down very suddenly indeed.
In my view, regardless of the circumstances of this tragic event, this model of racing needs to change with enforced checkpoints with enforced rest and sleep.
So regardless of the pace and effort put in to a checkpoint the compulsory sleep before exit is the same? That destroys the ethos of a free route race at a stroke. What is the point in going a longer way round a mountain if you are required to rest the same time as the rider destroying themselves over it?
And yes, there is also an issue for audax...Not for people like me who can cover 100 miles at 18mph and earn enough time in hand for a full night's sleep, every night, on a multiday event...but for those forced to ride with little or no sleep.
Wow. just wow.
Gross hypocrisy is at play here.
Well there's something we agree on.
Oh, wait.
/plonk