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Originally posted by Pretty Little Flower I will ask a question to the bicycling junkies about yesterday's stage. Some may recall last year when Armstrong crashed, and there was all the hoo ha about whether Ullrich slowed and how Hamilton had to go to tell the lead pack to slow down and how it is a gentlemen's sport where you do not take advantage of a fallen rider.
Well, yesterday, there was a crash and some of the possible GC favorites, most notably Iban Mayo, got stuck in the second half of the peloton (the half that was slowed by the crash). Instead of waiting, the teams in the first half of the peloton brought the hammer down and rocketed down the road, putting several minutes between them and the second pack, possibly killing Mayo's chances this tour. Why, Armstrong?
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Although I have nothing to back this up, it seems to me that the examples are distinguishable.
In the Lance example, he got snagged by a bystander, an external element. Plus, he was in position, riding in the lead group, on a mountain stage where it was almost mano-a-mano.
In the Mayo example, didn't he crash out himself first of all (I admit to not watching all of the stage), and was working himself back into position? It was pretty well publicized that the cobblestones were a risk and that the only way to be safe was to be at the front. It was also a flat stage where Mayo should have had his entire team to help him.
I don't know where the line is, but it wouldn't be sporting if you never waited in any situtation, and it wouldn't be sport if you waited in every situation.
