I'm not sure I agree. If it's so out of control, why is half the video unrelated to spectators and why are all the examples old? These types of incidents have always occurred in cycling but I don't think the frequency or severity has been getting any worse recently. Also the Tony Martin retirement bit was misleading - his safety concerns were more about the increasing speed of the peloton and the risks other riders were taking, not the behaviour of spectators.
this post was submitted on 10 Jul 2024
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The video may contain some shocking content (old especially) just to get viewers, but I think the problem is still real. Just because it has been happening for a long time doesn't make it less a concern now.
Maybe I'm just an idealist, but I don't think the riders should have to put up with smoke flares, people waving their fists right in their faces, patting them on the back, etc... I also don't have any good ideas how to stop any of that. I guess I just wish some people would apply the Golden Rule a lot more than they do.
Just because it has been happening for a long time doesn’t make it less a concern now.
That's not the argument here though. The argument is that it's getting out of control, implying that it's getting worse. I'm not convinced it is.
I don’t think the riders should have to put up with smoke flares, people waving their fists right in their faces, patting them on the back, etc…
That stuff is part of the culture of the sport and most riders actually indicate they enjoy it when they talk about their experiences on famous climbs or start/finish lines. Occasionally some idiots will take it too far but incidents are still very rare considering how many people attend races and how much road is left completely unprotected. I actually think most of the panic about fan behaviour is just coming from other fans, notably those who don't attend themselves and/or only tune in once a year for the Tour and think every race is like that.