After a massive crash at the Liege-Bastogne-Liege, Team DSM Rider Romain Bardet has requested other riders to show more unity and respect towards each other. He has asked the other riders to be consistent with their tactics and avoid unnecessary risks that could endanger not just theirs but other’s lives as well. This comes in after a massive crash resulted in a pile up of riders that left World Champion Julian Alaphilippe (Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl) with a collapsed lung, a fractured shoulder blade, and two fractured ribs.
Bardet himself got lucky as he was able to bypass any kind of injury but he forfeit any chances of winning to make sure that Julian Alaphilippe was okay. He went into the trees, scrambling to help out his fellow rider before any sort of help could arrive, he showed true courage and riding spirit.
After the race, Bardet told French radio channel RMC:
I was very scared for Julian. I fell on the same side and I saw him three metres below me. He told me: ‘I can’t move, I can’t move.’ No one was coming.
These are really scenes you don’t want in cycling. I tried to call people, the cars were blocked, it took forever. It was only 4-5 minutes, but it was a really shocking scene. You don’t ride a bike to see guys on the ground like that.
We can understand what Bardet and Alaphilippe were going through at that time, there was too much terror. When the dust settled down, Bardet shared his experience of the event, shared his act of generosity towards Alaphilippe and also discussed how the crash could have happened in the first place.
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There were many highlights in his message, there is not just one thing to share but many. Bardet shared his experience:
It is still difficult to put into words what happened yesterday, there was devastation on people’s faces and injured bodies after that fall.
I think of Julian, but also all the other guys who were badly hurt and who saw their lives flash in front of them, when at over 70km/h the roar of the pack gave way to chaos, to the sound of breaking equipment and screaming.
I am very moved by all the reports, but I actually think anyone in that situation would have done the same – there is no rivalry when there is the danger of injury.
Pain and misery brings people together, that is true, but it also ends rivalries. As Bardet said, there is no rivalry when there is the danger of injury. Bardet is a leading French Rider, and the Team DSM Leader, he is also a former Tour De France Podium spot holder.
The crash makes me think about our common responsibilities to prevent accidents like this, which could have ended tragically, and about the respect we have to show each other as riders.
I don’t blame anyone, let alone have a monopoly on the truth. It’s just that you put your heart and soul into a sport, have a passion for racing, but that can then turn tragic in a flash and damage the beauty of the sport.
I wish every rider affected a speedy recovery.
Crashes like this should not happen in the first place, these are the results of reckless racing tactics. They do nothing but endanger the lives of others. We wish that all the riders affected in the crash make a swift recovery.
Featured Image Via YouTube/thecyclingdane EXTRA
