another controversial finish!

another controversial finish!
It will be interesting to see how this one plays out.

It will be interesting to see how this one plays out.

Bettini put Cooke into the wall no doubt. I ahve watched this replay 6 times already. UNREAL. I would not have expected that from Bettini. Cooke was a class act though coming up and congratulating him.

On a side note. GREAT FREAKING ESCAPE. That was fun to watch. Petacchi has to be fuming right now.

On the post race coverage, it appears that Bettini made a gesture to Cooke and Cooke completely snubbed him. Cooke (and I) think that Bettini put him to the wall.

But Cooke shoulda recognized the drift to the left and switched right. Cooke didn't try to avoid the accident.

straight finish
you can't shut the door like that
yesterday Petacchi was winging when his own team took him to the barriers
and someone else still squeezed through on the barrier side

this one was different
Awesome last 5k though

On the post race coverage, it appears that Bettini made a gesture to Cooke and Cooke completely snubbed him. Cooke (and I) think that Bettini put him to the wall.

That's how I read it their exchange.

other than to screw the guy trying to pass. pretty clear cut. change sides in a sprint in the final 100 meters? uh you must not have ever been a sprinter. Sprinting is all about picking a line, committing and going full tilt. There's no time nor space nor energy for tactical changes in the final 100 m. You could tell Cooke was committed as he kept trying to squeeze through all the way until he hit.

other than to screw the guy trying to pass. pretty clear cut. change sides in a sprint in the final 100 meters? uh you must not have ever been a sprinter. Sprinting is all about picking a line, committing and going full tilt. There's no time nor space nor energy for tactical changes in the final 100 m. You could tell Cooke was committed as he kept trying to squeeze through all the way until he hit.

Half the time they are in O2 Deprivation. Talk about committal. Bettini knew exactly what he was doing, and if Cooke did not go down he wouldn't have been regulated.

Reminds me of Bill Lambier ;) Just kidding. Either way, Bettini knew better.

I am not a sprinter. I can't keep a straight line sprinting from the drops either, but again I don't get paid too. Maybe it was torque from all of Bettini's power that caused the drift....lol. Bettini did admit to a blocking but I am quite sure he miscalculated Cooke's speed and didn't realized that Cooke was already passing.

Bettini might have ended up taking Cooke all the way to the barrier regardless, but Cooke brought himself down when he took his right hand off the bars and pushed Bettini. I saw the video over and over. Cooke's push on Bettini backfires as it sends Cooke further left driving him into the barrier.

I couldn't believe he wasn't hurt on that fall.

I finally saw the video. Cooke needs to
grow a pair. Bettini closed the door on him, deal with
it, that is what sprinters do. It needs to be
significantly more severe to warrant a dq. Cooke
shouldn't have tried going around him on the short
side. Bettini was drifting left before Cooke even
tried coming-round. Cooke was aiming for a dq instead
of the win.

Cooke wrecked himself. He tried giving Bettini an
elbow-forearm move. When a big guy does it to a
smaller guy it usually works; when it doesn't, he goes down. The shoulder move is
safer for all parties involved; that is how one stays
upright. He underestimated how strong Bettini is;
Bettini didn't move at all.

I finally saw the video. Cooke needs to
grow a pair. Bettini closed the door on him, deal with
it, that is what sprinters do. It needs to be
significantly more severe to warrant a dq. Cooke
shouldn't have tried going around him on the short
side. Bettini was drifting left before Cooke even
tried coming-round. Cooke was aiming for a dq instead
of the win.

Cooke wrecked himself. He tried giving Bettini an
elbow-forearm move. When a big guy does it to a
smaller guy it usually works; when it doesn't, he goes down. The shoulder move is
safer for all parties involved; that is how one stays
upright. He underestimated how strong Bettini is;
Bettini didn't move at all.


While I now agree with you that it should not have been a DQ, I will say that Bettini did move. However, cooke should have been to the inside rather than the outside. The move was apparent due to a chain slip. After reading Bettini's account of the chain slip, the video does show it. It's too bad really, but my first reaction seeing it live, was to screw Bettini.


I would have been pissed too if I were Cooke, but Bettini should not have been DQ'd.

what goes around comes around - Cooke just got a taste of his own medicine after his comments about Petacchi on stage 2.

Cooke kept riding for a gap that wasn't there - as the pure sprinter of the 2 he should have had the power to switch and still win it. As for the idea that sprinters pick a line and stick to it - well, stage 2 totally disproved that and has no one ever heard of the Tashkent TGV? It's because of Abdou that there's a rule about keeping your line in the sprint because otherwise sprinters would be all over the road - and try telling a track sprinter that he has to take one line and stifck to it...

and he looks like he just lost his balance. He seemed determined to take it all the way to the barriers and for some reason he took his right hand off the drops and right before he crashes you can see his right hand grab the brake hood meanwhile his left hand is on the left drop causing an imbalance. I don't know about the rules but I would say it was 65% Bettini's fault for the crash itself. For the official call I will leave that up to the judges.

Up until the last 50meters Bettini had a brilliant ride. He covered all the moves and attacks for that last 6k. He nailed the apex on each turn and exited them perfectly. Too bad he was being a little too aggressive.

Vote here:
http://siucycling.proboards42.com/index.cgi?board=roadbike&action=display&num=1115845844

and try telling a track sprinter that he has to take one line and stifck to it...

I can't hold a straight line sprinting from the drops. How Bettini could check between his knees and sprint and keep his presence of mind to try to block anothers line is amazing. Cycling gets more and more complex as I get more into it.

With all this brew-ha, If Savoldelli can't get back into this race I will be pulling for Bettini...At least he has got some moxy.

well he'd have never reached out if Paolo hadn't cut over. it's actually quite common for sprinters to do such things, just as a "I'm right here". Yes he was right against the barriers as he took the left line and Bettini cut him off, what's he going to do? Brake, get the wheels uncrossed and then reaccelerate around the other side? He did what he could and at least the foul was recognized. I guess the Italians have one over on the Belgians as for not playing home field. I like Bettini but he broke the rules and I thought his little display on the podium lacked class.

Here's the facts: you deviate from your line in a sprint and you're liable to be disqualified. Bettini clearly deviated from his line, as almost everyone here agrees, so he can be disqualified. It's so hard to say in a bunch sprint like stage 2 who pushed who, as everyone is pushing each other and you certainly can't DQ the whole bunch. When it's one on one, it becomes pretty obvious who's closing the door and who's not.

Now, for the opinions, I don't think Bettini did it maliciously, as he seems like a really good guy. But I do think he wanted Cooke to think twice, and give himself a better chance to win the sprint. Still grounds for a DQ, but I don't think we should all make Bettini out to be the villain.

As far as these stages being exciting, imagine it from the racer's perspective. Terrifying is probably a better word. For everyone here who races, it's not fun having 8-10 corners in the last 5k, after a descent where everyone's taking risks to get a few seconds. While it may make for exciting television, I certainly wouldn't want to be in a race like that.

Silas

I can't hold a straight line sprinting from the drops. How Bettini could check between his knees and sprint and keep his presence of mind to try to block anothers line is amazing. Cycling gets more and more complex as I get more into it.


Maybe that's why someone is willing to pay Bettini more than a million dollars a year to ride his bike.

Geez - such an interesting and entertaining Giro and OLN isn't doing daily coverage. What a shame. Oh well, I can only hope they do a good job recapping the stages this week during the Sat and/or Sun shows.

Cooke was on Bettini's wheel the whole way as Bettini is drifting left. Then instead of coming out from behind on the right side, where there's tons of space, Cooke decides to go left too. Bad decision on Cookes part. I don't blame Bettini at all. He started the drift before anyone was beside him.

Bettini cut Cookie off... whether or not it was intentional I'll agree that's a judgment call. I've seen the italian TV website video and to me it looks like Bettini moved his line intentionally. Others have mentioned that he didn't turn his head - how could he know Cooke was coming? I saw Bettini racing head down in the drops, from that angle he wouldn't have had to move his head to see Cooke coming up. Cooke's front wheel was past Bettini's rear hub at least ten meters before the crash.

So, my view is that Bettini cut him off intentionally and the penalty is warranted.


On the other hand, EVEN if Bettini's move was unintentional, it was still technically against the rules. Either way I think Bettini got off with a valid, and fair penalty.


Now, how Cooke managed to restrain himself from laying Bettini out when the two met up past the finish line is beyond me!