Joel Wilson

Regarding interpreting rules, if the gate's down the gate's down. There's
no flagger there that's going to stop the train, come on. On the other
hand, when you're racing, you're racing. They made their decision and went
with it. You don't stop to listen to the birdies. I particularly liked
Boonen's comment in the cyclingnews interview:

*CN:* How did you enjoy standing there when the gates were shut?

*TB:* "Normally you don't have the chance to look around like that. The
birds were flying, the sun was shining and a train passed us, it was
beautiful. Then the gates opened and we started off racing again." (wry
smile)
True, it wasn't fair. But bike racing often isn't fair.

Regarding the steerer: "it's aluminium; it's been blasted then anodized
black" (Scott Daubert, CN).

While anodizing is a very good corrosion inhibitor and increases abraision
resistance greatly, it has been shown to reduce fatigue properties of
aluminum, a material that is particularly susceptible to fatigue failure
when pushed to its limits. Anodized coating is actually a thin ceramic
oxide film that can vary in thickness up to a few thousands of an inch
(about the thickness of a sheet of paper) depending on the process. It is
very hard and brittle. Thicker anodizing bonds very well to the aluminum
substrate but won't flex along with it. If the aluminum is flexed, the
coating cracks, which can initiate failure of the substrate (aluminum).

Please understand that this is just a theory of what could have lead to the
dissapointing separation of Hincapie's steerer. The crash earlier in the
race was likely far more of a factor, but there's also evidence out there
demonstrating that anodized coatings are not always your friend, especially
in a fatigue situation (like cobbles after a wreck).

- Joel

On 4/10/06, Dan Houghton wrote:
>
> "The rules are there to be interpreted" They can be interpreted one way
> if you are on an American team and another if you are (French).
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> *From:* Brad Cockman, DC
> *To:* obra@list.obra.org
> *Sent:* Monday, April 10, 2006 11:00 PM
> *Subject:* Re: [OBRA Chat] George Hincapie's major mechanical
>
> If his steer tube broke like they said it did, he probably dropped his
> bars and sat up abruptly to avoid going otb. Didn't look to me like there
> was any steer tube left on his bike. Guess he's going in for surgery on his
> scapula? Bummer. Would've loved to have seen him and Cancellara (that swiss
> kid) duke it out in the finale.
>
> Think the disqualification will be reversed?
>
>
> Brad Cockman, DC
> Chiropractic Locum Tenens
> Race Director
> Bend Memorial Clinic Cascade Cycling Classic
> www.cascade-classic.org
> www.mbsef.org
>
> POB 6693
> Bend, Or. 97708
> 541.280.0777
> brad21@gmail.com
>
> bendcycling-subscribe@topica.com
>
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