Time triallist death

Peter B said:

A detective-constable was killed yesterday after being struck by a lorry on the A50 near Doveridge,
Derbys. whilst participating in a TT.

Sympathies to all concerned. I wonder what sort of 'investigation' and charge will be forthcoming.

"John's Cat" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
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Quoted message said:

Peter B said:

A detective-constable was killed yesterday after being struck by a lorry

on

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

the A50 near Doveridge, Derbys. whilst participating in a TT.

Sympathies to all concerned. I wonder what sort of 'investigation' and charge will be forthcoming.

Know the road well - i wouldnt fancy TT on it! Its more like a motorway!

In "]news:[email hidden], Lee <[email hidden]> typed:

Quoted message said:

Know the road well - i wouldnt fancy TT on it! Its more like a motorway!

Unfortunately time trialists seem to like that sort of road and regularly get killed as a result.
Personally I think its lunacy to mix it with that sort of traffic but its a free world.

Tony

--
"I don't want to achieve immortality through my work. I want to achieve immortality through not
dying." Woody Allen

"Tony Raven" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
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In "]news:[email hidden],

Unfortunately time trialists seem to like that sort of road and regularly get killed as a result.
Personally I think its lunacy to mix it with that sort of traffic but its a free world.

Tony

--
"I don't want to achieve immortality through my work. I want to achieve immortality through not
dying." Woody Allen

Yeah, the surface is nice and therefore faster - fairly flat too, still, dangerous enough in a car,
let alone a bike!

"Tony Raven" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
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In "]news:[email hidden], Lee <[email hidden]> typed:

Quoted message said:

Know the road well - i wouldnt fancy TT on it! Its more like a motorway!

Unfortunately time trialists seem to like that sort of road and regularly get killed as a result.
Personally I think its lunacy to mix it with that sort of traffic but its a free world.

I used to commute on that sort of road, and although disconcerting it lacks many of the hazards that
are elsewhere. It seems to have a lot to do with slip roads, which does take some nerve and good
observation

"Peter B" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

A detective-constable was killed yesterday after being struck by a lorry

on

Quoted message said:

the A50 near Doveridge, Derbys. whilst participating in a TT.

I passed that spot this morning, and saw (for the very first time) a sign saying 'Cycle race in
progress. Please take care'. I wonder if it was placed there before or after the accident?

I have absolutely no idea why the people in charge of time trials use the A50; it's not a playground
- as someone else said, it's more like a motorway, but without the speed cameras.

Regards,

Pete.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Tony Raven
[B]In "]news:[email hidden], Lee <[email hidden]> typed:

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Domeo said:

Originally posted by Tony Raven In -"]news:[email hidden]-
omnews:[email hidden], Lee <[email hidden]> typed:

Quoted message said:

Unfortunately time trialists seem to like that sort of road and regularly get killed as a result.
Personally I think its lunacy to mix it with that sort of traffic but its a free world.

Tony

--

"Regularly" Check the facts. There has only been 4 deaths this year on time trials. Unfortunately
4 too many.

And how many previously?

AIUI the figures are rising.

IMO time-trialling has no place on many of our roads. Those who run the sport have their heads in
the sand and are living in an antiquated past.

How any national organisation can condone even 12 year olds riding amongst container traffic on
motoway standard roads beggars belief.

It harms the sport of cycling and sends out all the wrong messages to the non-cycling public which
affects their perception of _all_ cycling.

If they are not banned on public roads by the authorities, then I think TTs will eventually die out
but not before a few more are killed and injured.

Thankfully very few youngsters are taking it up, while the fields are mainly made up of wizzened old
veterans who 'think' they are racing by slip-steaming docks traffic.

<ducks>

John B

"Peter Connolly" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
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I have absolutely no idea why the people in charge of time trials use the A50; it's not a
playground - as someone else said, it's more like a motorway, but without the speed cameras.

I remember it having very few junctions compared with many roads, and as junctions pose far more
risk to cyclists than traffic speed it should not necessarily be more dangerous.

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Domeo wrote:

Quoted message said:

IMO time-trialling has no place on many of our roads. Those who run the sport have their heads in
the sand and are living in an antiquated past.

Maybe - or maybe the drivers are not driving within the distance they can see to be clear...

--
Guy
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"Lee" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
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Re. the A50

Quoted message said:

Know the road well - i wouldnt fancy TT on it! Its more like a motorway!

Yes, was on it only half an hour ago as it's one I use regularly. As has been pointed out a "Cycle
Race In Progress" sign was there this morning as a poignant reminder. I wouldn't fancy cycling on
that road for various reasons during the week but I imagine it's a deal quieter Sunday morning.

Pete

Peter B said:

I wouldn't fancy cycling on that road for various reasons during the week but I imagine it's a
deal quieter Sunday morning.

Not that much. I am up that way annually on a Sunday and it's usually pretty busy. More so if
there's anything big happening at Donington.

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"Peter Connolly" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
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it's more like a motorway, but without the speed cameras.

motorways don't have speed cameras [*]

[*] apart from roadworks and the M25 VSL.

"Peter B" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

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"Lee" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
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Re. the A50

Quoted message said:

Know the road well - i wouldnt fancy TT on it! Its more like a motorway!

Yes, was on it only half an hour ago as it's one I use regularly. As has been pointed out a "Cycle
Race In Progress" sign was there this morning as a poignant reminder. I wouldn't fancy cycling on
that road for various reasons during the week but I imagine it's a deal quieter Sunday morning.

Pete

You would be surprised Pete, I used to travel to Chester regularly on a Friday afternoon (to see my
girlfriend) and back on a Sunday, it was obviously a little clearer on a Sunday but no less
dangerous - plenty of madmen around who think that if the road is clear they can do whatever speed
they like (lorries included)

Just zis Guy said:

"JohnB" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Domeo wrote:

Quoted message said:

IMO time-trialling has no place on many of our roads. Those who run the sport have their heads
in the sand and are living in an antiquated past.

Maybe -

Maybe.

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or maybe the drivers are not driving within the distance they can see to be clear...

That may well be true, for which there is no excuse whatsoever.

But neither are the cyclists concentrating fully on the road conditions as they are, by nature of
the sport, focussed on their racing. Time triallists riding into the back of parked cars is not an
unknown occurrence :-(

Many are obsessed by the quest to achieve a personal best, never mind that it was helped by the
heavy traffic flow; riding near the white line, - or the fact that the start was at the top of a
ski-slope and the finish at the bottom.

I am not at all convinced that racing on the 'open' public highway is a good advertisement for
'cycling'.

John B

"JohnB" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

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I am not at all convinced that racing on the 'open' public highway is a good advertisement for
'cycling'.

You could say the same about running - I have probably felt more at risk from traffic when doing
running races on the open roads than the odd TT i've done.

"JohnB" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

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Time triallists riding into the back of parked cars is not an unknown occurrence :-(

Arguably, then, they are safer on the dual carriageway where there aren't anyu parked cars ;-)

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I am not at all convinced that racing on the 'open' public highway is a

good

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advertisement for 'cycling'.

Neither am I, but they have a right to ride on those roads, and the fact is that most adult cyclists
killed in traffic are the victims of motorist negligence. You know that, of course.

I don't want cyclists banned from even the busiest A roads, because I sometimes use them myself if
they are going the right way.

--
Guy
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In "]news:[email hidden], Domeo <[email hidden]> typed:

Quoted message said:

"Regularly" Check the facts. There has only been 4 deaths this year on time trials. Unfortunately
4 too many.

If you mean "this year" i.e the 7 months of 2003 then that is an appallingly high death rate. Even
if you meant the past 12 months it is very bad. The total cyclist deaths for 2001 was 138 therefore
4 deaths in 7 months is 5% of the total - totally disproportionate to the relative participation.

Tony

--
"I don't want to achieve immortality through my work. I want to achieve immortality through not
dying." Woody Allen

In "]news:[email hidden], Just zis Guy, you know?
<[email hidden]> typed:

Quoted message said:

Neither am I, but they have a right to ride on those roads, and the fact is that most adult
cyclists killed in traffic are the victims of motorist negligence. You know that, of course.

You have the right to swim in piranha infested water but what you have the right to do and what its
sensible to do are not necessarily the same thing.

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I don't want cyclists banned from even the busiest A roads, because I sometimes use them myself if
they are going the right way.

There is a difference between using them to get from A to B with care and using them for a race
event where the participants are not paying full attention to their surroundings IMO.

Tony

--
"I don't want to achieve immortality through my work. I want to achieve immortality through not
dying." Woody Allen