History repeated itself, fortunately without too much damage, at the finish line of the 4th stage of the Presidential Tour of TurkeyWhile Cavendish was sprinting for his third victory in three days, behind him a bike hit the barriers, sending them flying and the group stopped in a big pile. It was thought (and hoped) that Jakobsen's accident last year would have opened his eyes, but it didn'tLuckily, however, someone has taken action, and from Belgium comes an interesting idea for everyone, one of those you only get by going to the races.
Flanders Model
The organizers of thought about it Flanders Classics, owners of almost all the spring races in Belgium. In February, for Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and Kuurne, the old metal barriers were still in place. However, starting with the E3-Saxo Bank GP and then in the following races, the barriers in the arrival areas have changed face and color.
We had time to get to know him upon arrival of Scheldeprijs and we even had time to stop to observe them, take photos and even videos. The new barriers They have been specifically designed for cycling race finish lines and are made of plastic material.They are 1,40 m high and the 70-degree inclination prevents fans from leaning towards the road and riders from flying to the other side.
High absorption
The material used is a high-absorption polymer, which deforms in the event of an impact, without turning into a springboard or a catapult. Seen from the riders' point of view, therefore from the street, the barriers show a smooth and homogeneous face, impossible for wheels and handlebars to penetrateThe elements that compose them are connected to each other with a male-female system and by filling them with water the barrier is given the right consistency.
The advertising banners covering the arrivals are hung on a double track—top and bottom—giving the wall the right amount of uniformity. Perhaps, but we're in the realm of personal intuition, you could still work on the connection of the panels on the short sideIn any case, the detachment of the sign in the event of a fall does not cause the barriers to open. If the rider leans against the barrier, there is no risk of the wheel or handlebars stopping suddenly, throwing him away.
Made in Boplan
Boplan produces them, A Belgian company that also has branches in Great Britain, the USA, and the rest of Europe. In addition to barriers, it also produces cycling equipment. totems to be placed on the roadside or at intersections to protect riders from traffic islands and obstacles on the roadFor the rest of its business, Boplan produces protection for warehouses, workspaces, and even guardrail elements: anything that might be subject to impact and can benefit from the impact of an absorbent, elastic material.
With this type of barriers, Jakobsen probably would not have risked dying. And even if everything can be improved and different solutions can certainly be found, it is interesting to realize how the urgency of the problem is perceived differently in various countriesIn Belgium, where cycling is its national sport, they didn't want to take any more risks.
