Bath
Going: firm (good to firm in places)
2.10 (5f 160yd) 1, Vedute (Cieren Fallon, 5-6
fav); 2, Accrington Stanley (5-1); 3, Ladywood
(9-1). 5 ran. Kl, 3l. M L W Bell.
2.40 (5f 160yd) 1, Al Dawodiya (S M Levey, 2-5
fav); 2, Spinacia (7-2); 3, Lady Iley (22-1). 6 ran.
5 Kl, 8l. R Hannon.
3.10 (5f 160yd) 1, Princely (Rossa Ryan, 3-1
fav); 2, My Style (4-1); 3, Zulu Zander (18-5). 7
ran. Kl, 4N. A G Newcombe.
3.40 (5f 10yd) 1, Coronation Cottage (Charlie
Bennett, 9-2); 2, Moonraker (9-2); 3, Show Me
The Bubbly (9-4 fav). 8 ran. NR: Thegreyvtrain.
2 Ol, 1N. M S Saunders.
4.10 (1m) 1, Robert Guiscard (Harry Bentley,
9-4 fav); 2, Some Picture (9-1); 3, Game Over
(10-1). 8 ran. 1Ol, 1Ol. M Johnston.
4.40 (1m 2f 37yd) 1, Clem A (Rob Hornby, 33-1);
2, Ballylemon (17-2); 3, Banish (33-1). 7 ran. Hd,
2 N. M F Harris.
5.10 (1m 2f 37yd) 1, Lovers’ Gait (L P Keniry,
7-2); 2, Diva Kareem (11-4); 3, Rock Of Fame
(11-10 fav). 5 ran. 1Ol, 7l. D C Kubler.
5.40 (1m 6f) 1, Lismore (L Morris, Evens fav); 2,
Russian Rumour (10-1); 3, Nikolayeva (15-2). 5
ran. 3Ol, 1l. Sir Mark Prescott.
Placepot: £137.30. Quadpot: £151.70.
Ripon
Going: good (good to firm in places)
12.45 (6f) 1, Hilarity (B A Curtis, 11-2); 2,
Natural Instinct (14-1); 3, Sandhoe (10-3). 9
ran. 1Nl, 2l. K R Burke.
1.15 (6f) 1, Staxton (D Fentiman, 5-1 jt-fav); 2,
Watchable (14-1); 3, Gunmetal (11-2). 11 ran.
ns, 2Nl. T D Easterby.
1.45 (5f) 1, Van Gerwen (Kevin Stott, 16-5); 2,
Awsaaf (6-1); 3, Gamesome (13-2). 10 ran. NR:
Cuppacoco, Indian Pursuit. Nk, 2Ol. P T Midgley.
2.20 (1m) 1, Innse Gall (P Mulrennan, 9-4 fav;
Rob Wright’s nap); 2, Nortonthorpe Boy (9-1); 3,
Infant Hercules (10-1). 10 ran. Hd, 1l. I Jardine.
2.50 (2m) 1, Clearance (G Lee, 13-2); 2, Dance To
Paris (9-1); 3, Repetitio (6-4 fav). 8 ran. NR:
Blue Hussar, Red Tornado. 1Nl, nk. I Jardine.
3.20 (1m 1f 170yd) 1, Fishable (D Allan, 15-8
fav); 2, Scottish Summit (7-1); 3, Striding Edge(9-2). 6 ran. NR: Pour Me A Drink. Kl, 3Nl. T D
Easterby.
3.50 (1m 4f 10yd) 1, Bollin Joan (D Allan, 4-1);
2, St Gallen (15-8 fav); 3, Competition (10-3). 7
ran. NR: Ghadbbaan, Ilhabela Fact. Kl, 1l. T D
Easterby.
4.20 (1m 4f 10yd) 1, Finely Tuned (W Buick, 2-7
fav); 2, Just The Ticket (9-1); 3, Teescompo-
nentsfly (50-1). 7 ran. NR: Alessandro Allori,
Eternal Romantic. 3Kl, 9Kl. S E Crisford.
Placepot: £66.40. Quadpot: £8.10.
Stratford
Going: good (good to firm in places)
4.15 (2m 70yd hdle) 1, Courtandbould (P J Bren-
nan, 4-6 fav); 2, Bashful Boy (6-1); 3, Our Rod-
ney (22-1). 13 ran. NR: Dark Storm. 7l, 2Ol. F
O’Brien.
4.50 (2m 213yd ch) 1, Getawaytonewbay (Stan
Sheppard, 17-2); 2, Court Jurado (13-8 fav); 3,
Simon The Great (28-1). 13 ran. NR: Peace Ap-
proved, Secret Melody. 3Ol, Ol. M Sheppard.
5.20 (2m 70yd hdle) 1, See The Sea (B S Hughes,
13-8 fav); 2, Empreinte Reconce (8-1); 3, GreenOther sport
Golf: European Tour, English Championship:
Ware, first round leaders. 63 C Sharvin (N Ire).
64 L Canter (Eng); T Detry (Bel); D Howell (Eng);
M Lee (Aus); J Scrivener (Aus); S Vincent (Zim).
LPGA Tour, Marathon Classic: Ohio, first-round
leaders (US unless stated) 64 D Kang; L Ko (NZ).
66 A McDonald; JE Shin (S Kor); A Yin.
Snooker: Betfred World Championship,
Sheffield: K Maflin (Nor) 13 J Higgins (Sco) 11.Or Black (6-1). 7 ran. NR: Sid Hoodie. 2l, nk. D
McCain Jnr.
5.50 (2m 6f 7yd hdle) 1, Tel’art (Nico de Boin-
ville, 3-1); 2, Rakhine State (18-1); 3, Gragee-
lagh Girl (11-4). 7 ran. 6l, 2l. B Pauling.
6.20 (2m 70yd hdle) 1, Seaborn (J E Moore, 6-4
fav); 2, Court In Matera (15-2); 3, Sellingallthe-
time (9-1). 13 ran. 13l, 1Kl. G L Moore.
6.50 (2m 70yd hdle) 1, Glendun (Jack Quinlan,
2-1 fav); 2, Dylan’s Sea Song (13-2); 3, Memphis
Bell (3-1). 11 ran. NR: Red Charmer. 2l, 1Kl. J M
P Eustace.
7.20 (2m 4f 205yd ch) 1, Imperial Presence (R
Johnson, 5-1); 2, Fidux (10-3 fav); 3, More
Buck’s (17-2). 7 ran. 5Kl, 7l. P J Hobbs.
7.50 (2m 6f 125yd ch) 1, Monty’s Award (Paul
O’Brien, 11-10 fav); 2, Gentleman Moore (5-1);
3, Murray Mount (16-1). 5 ran. NR: Oscar Rose.
1 Nl, nk. C E Longsdon.
8.20 (2m 70yd flat) 1, Presenting Yeats (Kevin
Jones, 7-1); 2, Bucks Dream (6-1); 3, Beholden
(2-5 fav). 6 ran. Nk, Ol. M F Harris.
Placepot: £25.30.
Quadpot: £13.30.Football
Europa League
Round of 16, second legs
Basle (0)1 E Frankfurt (0) 0
Frei 886 Basle win 4-0 on aggregate
B Leverkusen(0)1 Rangers (0) 0
Diaby 516 Bayer Leverkusen win 4-1 on aggregate
Seville (2)2 Roma (0) 0
Reguilón 21
En-Neysri 44sent off: Mancini
90+10
6 Seville win single-leg tie
Wolves (1)1 Olympiacos (0) 0
Jiménez 8 (pen)6 Wolves win 2-1 on aggregateYesterday’s racing results Results
Fixtures
Football: Champions League, Round of 16,
second legs: Juventus (0) v Lyons (1) (8.0);
Manchester City (2) v Real Madrid (1) (8.0).
Snooker: Betfred World Championship: Crucible
Theatre, Sheffield. Round of 16 A McGill (Sco)
v J R Clarke (Wal) (2.30); Ding Junhui (Chn) v R
O’Sullivan (Eng) (7.0).understandably, but to blame one
rider would be to delude ourselves
that this danger might disappear by
excluding one sprinter. We know
better than that.
An accident waiting to happen?
There were specific issues with the
finish in Katowice. Firstly, being
downhill, the riders were hurtling at
about 50mph as they drafted off each
other’s wheels, then elbow to elbow.
A downhill gradient may have added
about 12mph, plus danger.
The flimsiness of the roadside
boards was another obvious concern,
perhaps even a scandal. When Mark
Cavendish crashed into barriers at the
2017 Tour de France after Peter Sagan
blocked him off, the Manxman
bounced back into the road. That was
a good thing, in that he slid and
tumbled rather than smashing into
something solid. His shoulder was
broken but, as we have seen, it could
have been worse. The demolition of
plastic barriers in Katowice broughtnot for the first or last time, what can
be done in particular about the frenzy
of a sprint finish. The easiest, quickest
conclusion was to damn Dylan
Groenewegen, the Jumbo Visma
sprinter, who veered across the road
and used an elbow to “close the door”
on Jakobsen’s attempt to come
through along the barriers in the final
yards in Katowice.
That type of move happens in
many bunch sprints but no one
sensible disputed that Groenewegen
deviated dangerously from his line.
The Dutch racer was fined,
disqualified and could yet face further
measures from the Union Cycliste
Internationale (UCI), cycling’s
governing body. Groenewegen has
apologised but that should not spare
him further sanction.
Patrick Lefevere, head of Jakobsen’s
Deceuninck-QuickStep team, has
threatened legal action and even said
that this could amount to criminality.
He was highly emotional,A
fter operating for more
than five hours overnight
on Fabio Jakobsen’s severe
facial injuries and keeping
the cyclist in a serious
but stable condition, doctors near
Katowice, Poland, were hoping to
wake the Dutchman from an
induced coma.
The coming days will reveal all that
his body has endured in a horrifying
crash at more than 50mph (80km/h).
If Jakobsen can ever bring himself to
look at the footage from stage one of
the Tour of Poland he may one day
count himself fortunate to be alive.
There are deaths in the professional
peloton. Pretty much everyone who
follows road racing up close will have
thought more than once that it is a
miracle there are not more fatalities.
Watching the 23-year-old Jakobsen
smash into flimsy barriers in another
stomach-churning pandemonium of
bodies and bikes was just such a
moment to make the sport stop and
wonder whether enough is done to
limit the dangers that riders tolerate
probably far too readily.
That’s cycling, as Jonathan
Vaughters, the former rider who is
now head of the EF Pro Cycling
team, noted a couple of years ago
when he talked about the countless
hospital visits, gory medical reports
and horrific roadside scenes of his
long experience.
“We, the old guard, are so
vaccinated against feeling in cycling,”
Vaughters wrote in a piece for
CyclingTips. “A crash with a
concussion, a broken nose and
collarbone is seen as lucky. Healthy,
really. ‘He’s fine’ will be the response
to anyone who asks, and then the
follow-up is really how many weeks
before he can begin training again.
“These thoughts, words and
responses seem truly insane to
someone not tenured in the world
of bicycle racing. And I guess that’s
because they are.”
That’s cycling. We may gawp at the
footage but those within the sport
have to avoid thinking too deeply
about the perilous risks when cyclists
are hurtling wheel to wheel at crazy
speeds dressed in Lycra.
“That is the great open secret of
bike racing — how often and how
terribly they crash,” Dan Coyle noted
in Lance Armstrong’s War. They crash
in sprints and flying down mountain
passes, on greasy roundabouts and
into bollards and fences and ditches
on sun-melted tar.
They break backs and pelvises and
particularly collarbones. Never mind
road rash and saddle sores, Coyle
estimated that there were about five
serious injuries per week among the
four hundred or so professional
cyclists. Over a six-month season,
that amounted to a one-in-four
chance of time in hospital.
In Jakobsen’s case, doctors initially
feared his condition was life-
threatening given the loss of blood
and his head injuries, which included
damage to his upper respiratory tract
and a crushed palate.
As a race official also recovered
from being knocked unconscious and
other riders tended to their injuries,
the sport of cycling was debating
exactly what caused this pile-up and,Sport
Crash course needed in rider safety
calls for a minimum standard,
perhaps a regulation design for the
last 500 metres. Robbie McEwen, the
Australian former sprinter, said that
he had once proposed as much to the
UCI, with no response: “[It was] a
correct disqualification,” he said.
“But the barrier set-up was not up to
standard, nor are safety standards.
How about final-kilometre safety
standards instead of measuring
sock height?”
Others called on the Professional
Cyclists’ Association to do much more
for its members, prioritising safety
ahead of crowd considerations. “At
over 80km/h, it’s crazy,” José Joaquín
Rojas, the Movistar rider, said. “Who’s
looking for us? Sometimes I get the
feeling that we are simply cattle
that are taken out of the road to
give a show.”
Then there is regulating sprints
themselves. The idea of lanes for
sprinters has been aired but it is the
darting from wheel to wheel, and the
skilful use of slipstreams and knowing
when to launch, that give these
finales their thrill and fascination.
Perhaps the most constructive idea
came from Brian Smith, the former
British champion and now a pundit
for Eurosport, who proposed Côte
d’Azur lanes at the side of the road,
like the light-blue boards on the
bottom of a banked velodrome,
which riders cannot enter, except for
emergencies. “Is it time to have Côte
d’Azur lanes on each side for sprints?”
Smith wondered. “Barriers are not
going away and in my opinion failed
yesterday. One metre each side for
safety. Anyone entering is disqualified
unless avoiding a potential crash.”
Roads would need to be wide
enough to accommodate these lanes
— but then they should already
have enough space to allow up to
200 cyclists to safely come through
at speed — and the commissaires
may be busy if a sprinter finds himself
forced into the run-off zone.
But it would reduce the chances of
a cyclist being shoved into barriers, or
through them in Jakobsen’s case, with
all the horrendous consequences.
There is a limit to how safe you can
make a high-speed sport but it was
surely a day to wonder as Jakobsen
lay unconscious in hospital in
Sosnowiec, with his girlfriend and
parents arriving on a private jet from
the Netherlands to be at his bedside.
Yesterday the race was back on —
that’s cycling — but if Jakobsen’s
terrible injuries are not enough to
make the sport’s leaders pause for
serious thought, you wonder what it
will take.Matt Dickinson
Chief Sports
WriterLUC CLAESSEN/GETTY IMAGESJakobsen, left, hit the barriers after Groenewegen veered across, prompting many to question the safety of sprint finishesthe times | Friday August 7 2020 2GM 57