Cyclopathic
Veteran
- Location
- Leicester.
I imagine that if the professional riders thought that there was any merit or protection to be had from wearing a helmet that they would have been doing it voluntarily even before it was a condition of racing.
How did proffesional riders react when they were told helmets would be compulsary?
- Thread starter Cyclopathic
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Zoiders
New Member
- Location
- Ice Station Zebra
A lot did back in the day, more like a rugby helmet to stop you knocking heads in bunch sprints though.
Next question.
Next question.
david k
Hi
- Location
- North West
some did
many people didnt use seat belts before it was compulsary, does this prove they are not of merit?
ColinJ
Puzzle game procrastinator!
- Location
- Todmorden - Yorks/Lancs border
A lot of professional riders thought that it was a good idea to eat a large steak for breakfast on the morning of a race but it doesn't follow that they were right! 
Many of them also liked to light up during races ...
Many of them also liked to light up during races ...
david k
Hi
- Location
- North West
A lot of professional riders thought that it was a good idea to eat a large steak for breakfast on the morning of a race but it doesn't follow that they were right!
Many of them also liked to light up during races ...
and that aint good?
david k
Hi
- Location
- North West
OP
OP
Cyclopathic
Veteran
- Location
- Leicester.
A lot of professional riders thought that it was a good idea to eat a large steak for breakfast on the morning of a race but it doesn't follow that they were right!
Many of them also liked to light up during races ...
To be fair though they probably had a few amphetamines in their pockets to counteract any negative effect that smoking may have had on their performance.
OP
OP
Cyclopathic
Veteran
- Location
- Leicester.
I think I more meant to ask if there was much resistance to the introduction of compulsary helmet wearing from proffesional riders or if it all went very smoothly.
henshaw11
Well-Known Member
- Location
- Walton-On-Thames
From wikipedia, so may be of dubious accuracy, but the following sounds about right
"The first serious attempt by the UCI to introduce compulsory helmet use in 1991 was met with strong opposition from the riders.[sup][25][/sup] An attempt to enforce the rule at the 1991 Paris–Nice race resulted in a riders' strike, forcing the UCI to abandon the idea. While voluntary helmet use in professional ranks rose somewhat in the 1990s, the turning point in helmet policy was the March 2003 death of Kazakh Andrei Kivilev. The new rules were introduced on May 5, 2003,[sup][26][/sup] with the 2003 Giro d'Italia being the first major race affected. The 2003 rules allowed for discarding the helmets during final climbs of at least 5 kilometres in length;[sup][27][/sup] subsequent revisions made helmet use mandatory at all times."
from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bicycle_helmet
There's some quotes here from the UCI in 2003:
http://www.bikebiz.com/news/read/uci-urges-pro-riders-to-don-helmets/03746
So it sounds like on the second attempt there was less resistance because there was already some degree of helmet-wearing going on.
It's probably worth pointing out that - as I understand it - what the UCI says, goes, without a lot of concerted opposition.
"The first serious attempt by the UCI to introduce compulsory helmet use in 1991 was met with strong opposition from the riders.[sup][25][/sup] An attempt to enforce the rule at the 1991 Paris–Nice race resulted in a riders' strike, forcing the UCI to abandon the idea. While voluntary helmet use in professional ranks rose somewhat in the 1990s, the turning point in helmet policy was the March 2003 death of Kazakh Andrei Kivilev. The new rules were introduced on May 5, 2003,[sup][26][/sup] with the 2003 Giro d'Italia being the first major race affected. The 2003 rules allowed for discarding the helmets during final climbs of at least 5 kilometres in length;[sup][27][/sup] subsequent revisions made helmet use mandatory at all times."
from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bicycle_helmet
There's some quotes here from the UCI in 2003:
http://www.bikebiz.com/news/read/uci-urges-pro-riders-to-don-helmets/03746
So it sounds like on the second attempt there was less resistance because there was already some degree of helmet-wearing going on.
It's probably worth pointing out that - as I understand it - what the UCI says, goes, without a lot of concerted opposition.
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