In big stage races, such as the Tour de France, they usually have TV cameramen riding as passengers on motorcycles getting closeups of the lead riders. Will a cyclist who drafts behind them get penalized? Or is it incumbent on the motorcyclist to avoid letting them do that?
On this other forum on Slowtwitch.com, someone asked essentially the same question. the discussion goes on in much more depth, but here are some quote highlights about the issue: http://forum.slowtwitch.com/forum/Slowtwitch_Forums_C1/Triathlon_Forum_F1/Drafting_the_Cameraman%3A_How_much_of_an_advantage_P2599297/
[QUOTE=Peanut]
Just looked up the pro rule: With respect to a moving motor vehicle, the “drafting zone” is a rectangular area extending one meter to each side of the vehicle and fifteen (15) meters behind the vehicle. So the motorcycle can be quite close alongside, as well as in front and to the side of (more than 1 meter), just not right in front of the pro?
Also: With respect to a motor vehicle (including authorized race vehicles), it is the athlete�s responsibility to continually communicate to the vehicle to move away. So it sounds like the motorcycle driver and cameraman should know to keep the pro out of their draft zone, but it’s the pro’s responsibility to get them to move away?
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[QUOTE=Rappstar]
This is a very tough subject. Does the moto give an advantage. I am fairly sure it does. But, do I want to do away with TV coverage as a result? Absolutely not. TV coverage is what will make this sport grow for professional athletes. There were times when I am sure the moto gave me an advantage. There were also times because it was a 3-loop course that I had to “kick the moto out of the way” so I could pass someone. It made it different for sure, as I had to surge and slow down more. It’s quite different. On this course, the moto almost has to be close at times, because they also do double duty clearing the way for me. You have fast AG athletes passing slower AG athletes and then I have to pass them. Plus there were some scary moments where folks would swerve putting bottles back in, etc. At the end of the day, I think it’s a part of racing. Would it be great to have wide open roads like at Canada where the moto has tons of room? Of course. […]
So, do I think at times I received an advantage from a motorcycle? I am sure I did. But other riders get advantages from even 10m drafting zones. There is no way to actually run a pro race that is “perfectly fair.” I think it’s about doing the best you can with the situation you have to work with.
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A lot of the time they’re probably not quite as close as it looks. I watch a fair bit of pro cycling and don’t see much continuous drafting behind a moto, and I don’t think I’ve seen any intentional drafting (sometimes it just happens due to the moto and bikes changing their lines.)
A blind eye is often turned to drafting to get back on to the peleton though. If you’ve had a puncture or even just gone back to the team car for a restock of bidons it is common to draft the convoy to get back on to the bunch. There is also the infamous “sticky bidon” where the team car hands a rider a water bottle and it takes a good 10 seconds or so for the exchange to happen, all the while the cyclist is getting a genuine tow. Again this normally happens behind the bunch and no one seems to care too much. On the other hand I think it was Nibali who was disqualified from last years Giro d’Italia for literally hanging on to his team car while trying to get back to the bunch.
Yep. Here is the video. That’s Nibali in the light blue.
Seems they only get punished when:
- It is a race leader,
- It’s egregious (drafting too close for too long, or holding on),
- It’s caught on camera.