For anyone who missed it, here's why Andy lost 9 minutes in the TT yesterday: oh, ok, to be strictly accurate, this is why Andy lost maybe 6 minutes extra in the TT yesterday:
Points of note:
Pic 1 - top l left - is that Kinesio tape on the back of his neck? Is that an old injury, do we think, or a clever way to counterbalance the strain of maintaining the broken-neck aero position?
And you will note not only the lack of a large amount of skinsuit (and skin) on the hip, but the outside of his shoe has been scraped away as well. Ouch.
Picture 2 - top right - also shows that his skinsuit is ripped under the arm, so that must have been a heavy fall, poor boy.
Yet he bounces back on the bike, and off he goes, and "only" loses 9 minutes overall. I reckon a fall like that would lose you at least 2 minutes just to get back up and on the bike, and possibly another minute to get back up to speed: but it must be a mighty shock to the system, and would probably slow any rider down quite a bit: in a TT lasting around the hour mark, probably by several minutes.
So on balance I think Andy did remarkably well to only lose, what was it, 9 minutes? He said himself that after the crash, his ribs hurt and his hand hurt, he couldn't concentrate properly, he couldn't get into the aero position, and he just wanted to get to the end and stop.
Luckily Mr Bruyneel seems to have taken note of the response to his rather "in yer face" public name-and-shame management style, and has toned it all down a bit: he was quite positive about Andy's performance, and had the grace not to blame him for falling off.
And as an aside, where is Andy's radio? Usually you can clearly see the rectangular box through the skinsuit, generally on the back of the waist. I have often wondered at the wisdom of doing that, bearing in mind that if they fall and land on their backs (not that common, I know) then surely having a solid hard box against the spine would be a bad thing.
To see the better quality pictures, and to see what Andy and Mr Bruyneel said, they are on the Shack website.
Hi everyone,
ReplyDeleteI've been reading a lot on this blog for a while now, but this is my first comment here.
Yesterday I heard about Andy's crash and I was very very sorry for him. It must have hurt like hell when you see the pictures.
I think it's really admirable to finish a TT in that state!
When you look at the 2nd picture, you can see a 'bump' in Andy's suit, in the black area, just above de red stripe. Mayby that's the radio? (although I must admit that the location is rather strange and is probably even more uncomfortable then a box at the waist...)
Just my 2cents...
Jill
Ouch! That road rash has got to hurt. Poor Andy. He's not having much luck is he? Off on another tangent: http://www.velonation.com/News/ID/12062/Contador-signs-with-Saxo-Bank-until-end-of-2015.aspx There go all my SexyBank reunion fantasies *sigh*
ReplyDeleteBris. Gal
Hi Jill (with two ls), welcome to Schleckland!
ReplyDeleteAnd apparently he then punctured, and had to change bikes to his road bike, so that must have been even more of a challenge.
Our Brave and Glorious Leader!
I've looked at that "bump" (well done for spotting it) and do you know, I'm not sure. The radios are usually a very distinctive square-edged box, so I'm not at all certain what that curving line would be.
A nearly-empty camelback? The cable from the radio to the earpiece? All suggestions welcome.
Hi Brisbane Gal - yup, that puts an end to those rumours at any rate. It's still not beyond all possibility that the Schlecks et al will return to SaxoBlank, but it's unlikely for this year. Mr Bruyneel was quite firm in his statement about "having control of the Schlecks for 2.5 years", wasn't he? *sigh*
Coug
And if Alberto is going to Saxo....I really doubt the Schlelcks will join him there.
ReplyDeleteSo sorry for Any with that crash and then puncture. Bad, bad luck.
BE
Ouch! I don't think taking a shower yesterday evening was Andy's highlight of the day...
ReplyDeleteA Dutch journalist was driving behind Andy during the TT, he's the one that took those pictures. He said: "His rythm was broken and because of the pain, he could hardly get back into position. Because of the wind, he didn't dare to put his arms back in the triathlon bars. With every gust of wind he whirled a few metres across the road and he was visibly scared of crashing again. Then, 10 K from the finish, he punctured."
In the sixth picture, it looks like a radio right above his race number. ( http://www.telegraaf.nl/telesport/wielersport/12313036/__FOTO_S_De_val_van_Schleck__.html ) No idea what the bump underneath the O-logo is...
Inge
Thank you Inge, for the link.
ReplyDeleteThis description makes it all the more remarkable that he only lost 9 minutes, doesn't it? Allowing that he would have been expected to have lost what, 3 or 4 minutes over a TT of this length, compared to the top few riders.
So well done Andy, bravely ridden.
Perhaps instead of a shower they have a mop-down with a damp flannel? Or perhaps they are big tough men who just grit their teeth and get on with it!
Coug
PS I'm away on a course this weekend, so I've done a non-Dauphine article for today, and we'll get back to the Dauphine, and the Tour de Suisse - for which, by the way, Shack have sent a cracking team! - next week.
Who would have thought. the starting point of the end.... Our poor Andy x
ReplyDelete