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There's always one numpty driver.....

Posted: 11 May 2014, 10:54pm
by TonyR
....who'll try to overtake a bunch of cyclists at a pinch point :roll:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/cycling/27361749

Re: There's always one numpty driver.....

Posted: 11 May 2014, 11:43pm
by reohn2
What do mean one numpty car driver?
I can point you to a field full around these parts :?

Re: There's always one numpty driver.....

Posted: 12 May 2014, 7:55am
by TonyR
Numpty drivers who end up in a field are no longer a problem - that's just natural selection removing them from the roads :wink:

Re: There's always one numpty driver.....

Posted: 12 May 2014, 8:33am
by Phil Fouracre
Great! A driver who is actually involved in the race, and should have some idea of what they are doing, what chance do we have on the open road?

Is there training for bike race drivers ??

Posted: 12 May 2014, 8:47am
by james01
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/cycling/27361749

There seems to be a steady flow of similar incidents, not just in the UK. If I were a road-racer I'd be quite nervous about official cars hurtling around competitors.

Re: There's always one numpty driver.....

Posted: 12 May 2014, 8:51am
by reohn2
TonyR wrote:Numpty drivers who end up in a field are no longer a problem - that's just natural selection removing them from the roads :wink:


Some of them do manage to actually get into the fields,others haven't quite got the knack of getting through the hedges :? :wink:

Edited for typos

Re: There's always one numpty driver.....

Posted: 12 May 2014, 9:24am
by Mark1978
Every time I watch cycling racing - especially Tour de France I'm always struck by the skill of the driving, managing to drive alongside cyclists whilst talking to them etc, and that of the motorcyclists too. I guess this is the exception that proves the rule!

Re: Is there training for bike race drivers ??

Posted: 12 May 2014, 10:52am
by Bicycler
This was the famous TV car one from the Tdf a couple of years back http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O4Pio7E2VqM

Re: Muppet Driver

Posted: 12 May 2014, 11:20am
by Flinders
nez dans le guidon wrote: I was covering the brake as she approached, as there was something about her. :shock:


Its funny, that intuitive thing. I get it, Mr Ortho gets it. I find it almost more when I drive- sometimes you just know someone is going to do something stupid and/or illegal, even if they haven't done anything wrong at all -yet. I'm sure it isn't anything spooky :shock: , I suspect we're just subconsciously very sensitive to micro aspects of road positioning and speed variations.
It's certainly kept me safe more times than I can count. (By the same token, many bad drivers have got away with the normal consequences of their bad driving and probably think it was just their wonderful skill and judgement that meant nothing bad happened. :evil: )

Re: There's always one numpty driver.....

Posted: 12 May 2014, 5:27pm
by Audax67

Re: Is there training for bike race drivers ??

Posted: 13 May 2014, 1:40pm
by Ben@Forest
I hate to say it but I've read on more than one occasion that the drivers of these vehicles are often ex-pro riders because they can 'read' the flow of riders or the peloton better than those who haven't been in such situations. So tarring them as numpties who don't know nuffin' is disingenuous. Whether they also get training as well - don't know.

Re: Is there training for bike race drivers ??

Posted: 15 May 2014, 12:21pm
by DaveGos
You get an increasing number of problems in races with inexperienced cycle race drivers. It cant be easy as you have to at times get past the peleton . I drive as a marshal in a road race once a year on a 6 mile circuit and even that can have its nervous moments

Re: Is there training for bike race drivers ??

Posted: 15 May 2014, 1:03pm
by jezer
I have driven vehicles in many road races and other cycling events. In the 90's I was a BCF commissaire, and as I recall we didn't have any special training. We were all experienced cyclists and therefore I believe we knew what we were doing. I think in professional races most of the team cars are driven by ex-pros, but perhaps some of the press vehicles and the like are not.

Re: Is there training for bike race drivers ??

Posted: 15 May 2014, 1:05pm
by fossala
Isn't that the lead car (it's before the race started). If so they should of been behind it.

Re: Is there training for bike race drivers ??

Posted: 15 May 2014, 1:18pm
by TonyR
So who changed the thread title and why? My OP now doesn't make sense as a result.