Giro d'Italia Stage 1 – May 9th, Belfast (TTT) 21km, **Warning: Unmasked Spoilers**

greenrocket

disaster, poor dan really feel for him.

07Lapierre

The lead rider on the Garmin team should get a right bollocking for leading the team over a manhole cover!

gordongekko

ROK ON wrote: »

We need to stop doing grand Tour departs in Ireland.
Do not have a good track record.

For a top 10 contender to be taken down by a manhole cover is not exactly good publicity.

It's technically part of great Britain so not our problem ðŸ˜႒

happytramp

mahoo wrote: »

my excitement for the Giro being Ireland just took a massive slap in the gob. gutted for Dan. whyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!?! *fist shake*

Yeah MASSIVELY. I'm hopeful the feeling will go away though.

gordongekko

Great start for bmc

Carpenter

Feck

Zzippy

gordongekko wrote: »

It's technically part of great Britain so not our problem ðŸ˜႒

Actually, it's technically part of the UK, not GB (the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland)

/pedant

pelevin

No will to watch anymore today after that.

godtabh

Sticky Bottle tweeting a broken collar bone

Daroxtar

07Lapierre wrote: »

The lead rider on the Garmin team should get a right bollocking for leading the team over a manhole cover!

Just thinking exactly that. I know you cant swerve around every little thing but what the fúck was the lead guy thinking riding that line????

omri

wirelessdude01 wrote: »

Depends how bad the possible collarbone break/fracture is. I would imagine the Vuelta will be in the frame now.

He really deserves some luck now.

nomdeboardie

godtabh wrote: »

Sticky Bottle tweeting a broken collar bone

BBC coverage also

07Lapierre

Daroxtar wrote: »

Just thinking exactly that. I know you cant swerve around every little thing but what the fúck was the lead guy thinking riding that line????

Agree, it looked like a pretty straight stretch of road! Plenty of time to see it and move over! So frustrating ... Geez even us amateurs don't cycle over manhole covers!

DominoDub

From Nico's Twitter

Crap for @DanMartin86 !!! Get well cousin.. So sorry about that unlucky strike you have been going through

NeedMoreGears

07Lapierre wrote: »

The lead rider on the Garmin team should get a right bollocking for leading the team over a manhole cover!

Was thinking that myself. Poor DM. Hopefully he can be ready for the Vuelta.

Carpenter

Neil is not happy with the course

neil martin ‏@neilmartin99 4m
aside as to what happened to Garmin...I'm sorry Belfast but that has to be the most dangerous TT course I've ever seen. #ludicrous

death1234567

07Lapierre wrote: »

The lead rider on the Garmin team should get a right bollocking for leading the team over a manhole cover!

Especially when they would have already ridden the course earlier in the day.

68 lost souls

Im really not. Was convinced there was gonna be a crash and unfortunately it was Dan that came off.

happytramp

Will he be back in time for the Tour do you think? Or will he be better going for the Vuelta?

blobbie

Probably depend on how serious it is i.e. does he need a plate in it.

Carpenter

It might not be as bad as it seems

Inquitus

Carpenter wrote: »

Neil is not happy with the course

neil martin ‏@neilmartin99 4m
aside as to what happened to Garmin...I'm sorry Belfast but that has to be the most dangerous TT course I've ever seen. #ludicrous

He has a point, the crowd were very well behaved, but you shouldn't have mountain top crowd structure at a 50kph TTT, the roads weren't great either.

Pudsy33

The man is ****ing cursed. Devastated for him

MPFG

Inquitus wrote: »

He has a point, the crowd were very well behaved, but you shouldn't have mountain top crowd structure at a 50kph TTT, the roads weren't great either.

City TTT are notorious ...remember Vuelta in 2012...loads of crashed in Pamplona...the truth is the course was tricky but that is why its the Giro ...hard course

Only one team crashed as far as I know...and it is part of the skill to be able to ride in rain , on slippy road & over variable terrain

I am gutted for Dan Martin but this is not only the 'fault' of the course

Hopeful he will bounce back and have a fantastic end of season...wining Lombardy and few other races

neris

on a city circuit can they not mark the manhole covers? surely a big circle of paint will give some warning especially like tonight when it was wet.

pab01

Gutted for Dan but was sheer luck that people are discussing more incidents. Watched race at corner of ormeau bridge and marshalls was next to useless. If it wasn't for crowd shouting at people to get off the road there would have been collisions between riders and idiots crossing road. Marshall stood doing nothing and in one case wandered on footpath behind crowd. They weren't even watching road to see if teams coming. Was absolute joke.

Darkglasses

Wow, where to start with today...Easily my favourite day ever since I started following pro racing. Pictures to follow. Fantastic day for Nico, utter nightmare for cousin Dan.

Watching the teams practice this morning and walking around the paddock this afternoon was terrific. Watched BBC coverage on the big screen in the fan park, with the teams cycling right past where I was standing. Massive thanks to the 3 fans from Dublin I was chatting to if you're reading, very knowledgeable and terrific people to talk to.

Hope I have some more decent photos to show ye. Will look after a bit dinner to warm up :eek:

couerdelion

pab01 wrote: »

Gutted for Dan but was sheer luck that people are discussing more incidents. Watched race at corner of ormeau bridge and marshalls was next to useless. If it wasn't for crowd shouting at people to get off the road there would have been collisions between riders and idiots crossing road. Marshall stood doing nothing and in one case wandered on footpath behind crowd. They weren't even watching road to see if teams coming. Was absolute joke.

They were volunteers doing the best they were able - you could see marshalls moving the crowd back and as soon as they turned people were back out again - no wonder they gave up. Fair play to all the volunteers for giving up their time

stecleary

neris wrote: »

on a city circuit can they not mark the manhole covers? surely a big circle of paint will give some warning especially like tonight when it was wet.

so dublin city centre would be just painted yellow for the weekend :mad:

stecleary

couerdelion wrote: »

They were volunteers doing the best they were able - you could see marshalls moving the crowd back and as soon as they turned people were back out again - no wonder they gave up. Fair play to all the volunteers for giving up their time

People who have never marshalled an event of any size just don't get that marshals are effectively powerless, I have marshalled rallies, road races and worked in our countries two biggest stadia and the abuse you get off people for thinking of their safety and making sure an event goes off with out a hitch just isn't worth it for the love of the sport most of the time