# Specialized vs. road sign: road sign 1, Specialized 0



## stevesbike (Jun 3, 2002)

anyone catch the clip of the Gerolsteiner rider doing his impersonation of the highway crash test today? It was almost like the frame had a built-in crumple zone the way it imploded on impact.


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## B15serv (Apr 27, 2008)

yea that was nuts. there was a seatpost tube or something about ten feet to left of where he was getting up too. not to mention the pieces of frame held together by cables.


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## dagger (Jul 22, 2004)

I am suprised the guy got up and walked. Did he get to finish the race?


EDIT: His name is Sven Krauss and he did finish last place 15mins behind the winner.


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## AKCheesehead (May 15, 2008)

Can anybody find a link or a photo, I missed the live coverage....


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## Andrea138 (Mar 10, 2008)

Just watch it when they show it again tonight with the extra Bobke love. 

That bike disintegration was pretty gnarly.


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## snowman3 (Jul 20, 2002)

Andrea138 said:


> Just watch it when they show it again tonight with the extra Bobke love.
> 
> That bike disintegration was pretty gnarly.


Time check or approx kilometer mark of the race? Will definitely check it out, just want to know when to tune in and pay attention.


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## dagger (Jul 22, 2004)

It happened with 8k to go


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## Dr_John (Oct 11, 2005)

I don't have cable/satellite, so if someone runs across a photo or clip, please post a link, as I would like to see it.


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## jorgy (Oct 21, 2005)

Versus has a clip on their website. Sorry I don't know how to embed videos.

http://www.versus.com/tdf/


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## jhamlin38 (Oct 29, 2005)

he must have been lucky and able to avoid direct bodily contact with the sign, but the bike wasn't so lucky. that road furniture is friggin scary


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## El Guapo (Dec 10, 2002)

*I thought they put "cones" around objects like that?*

That post was right in the middle of the exit of the turnabout. VERY dangerous. They could have at least placed a traffic cone a meter or two before it.


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## gh1 (Jun 7, 2008)

The sign appeared to be short, hence the bike taking the impact and not him. I have seen it several times and it is just brutal.


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## Dr_John (Oct 11, 2005)

> Versus has a clip on their website. Sorry I don't know how to embed videos.


Thanks, found it.

Wow. That was spectacular.


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## baker921 (Jul 20, 2007)

Should have been riding a Cannondale then the lifetime warranty would have sorted him out for sure!


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## DIRT BOY (Aug 22, 2002)

Did you see the front wheel looked ok after hitting the curb! 

I am suprised he walked away. I guess he kinda landed on his feet afer the flip that broke his fall.


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## roadie92 (Jan 21, 2008)

Thats the worst crash in the tour so far. Hopefully theres not going to be many more.


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## Dr_John (Oct 11, 2005)

> Did you see the front wheel looked ok after hitting the curb!


And what he did to the sign? He really nailed it. Amazing he walked away.


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## jsedlak (Jun 17, 2008)

Weird that the bike broke in half like that as if he hit the sign going sideways... which clearly wouldn't have happened. Looked like he bent the sign too.


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## davidka (Dec 12, 2001)

WOW! I'm glad he's not more badly hurt. Gerolsteiner has had bad luck with stuff like that this year. Versus had a couple of clips of Gero. guys breaking their bikes in the spring classics too. No Quick Step guys, just Gerolsteiner.


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## Don Duende (Sep 13, 2007)

Specialized Carbon Fiber bike EXPLODES at the TdF......Headlines! I am waiting for the posts from the anti-CF crowd, extolling the virtues of steel, titanium, etc. Remakable crash, lucky cyclist. that signpost was about crotch level. Hate to think of the damage it could have caused.


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## Sojourneyman (Jun 22, 2007)

roadie92 said:


> Thats the worst crash in the tour so far. Hopefully theres not going to be many more.


probably the best considering what happened and what could've happened. The worst is guys who just tip over and break something. This guy has a story to tell


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## Einstruzende (Jun 1, 2004)

roadie92 said:


> Thats the worst crash in the tour so far. Hopefully theres not going to be many more.


I just saw it on the evening coverage on Versus, and it was rather spectacular, but not the worst. My reasoning is that he appears to have came away relatively unscathed, while other folks in the race have broken collarbones, wrists, and who knows what else.


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## BluRooster (Sep 11, 2006)

Poor bike. He landed miles away from it too. The camera guy had to back up to show people where the bike was...


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## il sogno (Jul 15, 2002)

Another great Liggett-ism there:

"My goodness me, that was a prang!"


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## agegroupracer (Dec 24, 2007)

He was lucky that he was on a cf frame. Just as in F1 racing the frame absorbed almost all of the impact and cracked up as a result. Aluminum or ti would have absorbed probably only half of the impact and transfered the rest to the rider.


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## bigmig19 (Jun 27, 2008)

I second the ASS!nine random 2 foot road sign right after a roundabout precisely where guys are gonna cut across. They do a good job over 1000's of kilometers but thats criminal.


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## weltyed (Feb 6, 2004)

*i think the worst was...*

the guy who hit the tree. that had to hurt.

this one was great to see, knowing the guy walked away. wish we could see chopper footage.




roadie92 said:


> Thats the worst crash in the tour so far. Hopefully theres not going to be many more.


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## cityeast (Sep 16, 2004)

agegroupracer said:


> He was lucky that he was on a cf frame. Just as in F1 racing the frame absorbed almost all of the impact and cracked up as a result. Aluminum or ti would have absorbed probably only half of the impact and transfered the rest to the rider.


Would have to agree with this. A metal frame bike wouldn't have sacrificed itself so readily.


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## mtbykr (Feb 16, 2004)

*ya*



weltyed said:


> the guy who hit the tree. that had to hurt.
> 
> this one was great to see, knowing the guy walked away. wish we could see chopper footage.



Completely agree.....that crash looked just terrible!


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