Emotions Fly After Crash At Dana Point Grand Prix

One more piece of context that might help readers make a decision about this is that one of Bahati’s new teammates, Jorge Alvarado, was killed a few days before the Grand Prix while out on a training ride by some street racing teenagers from a local high school. (On a road that I regularly ride here in Southern California, might I add.)

Here’s the velonews version of that story: http://velonews.competitor.com/2010/04/news/charges-likely-in-bahati-riders-death-driver-was-street-racing-official-says_111130.

While this doesn’t excuse Rashaan’s behavior after the crash, I think it’s at least important to know that those were some rough days for the Bahati Foundation Team.

Wait, are you the same Robin who was so butt-hurt about BikeRumor’s coverage of the Blockhead stem over here? https://bikerumor.com/2010/04/06/blockhead-stem-with-integrated-brake-lever/#comments

While I don’t disagree with your main point on Bahati, I’m sorry that someone is still forcing you to read BikeRumor against your will.

Emotions fly at races like this, what Bahati did is not excusable and he should be disciplined for his behavior. However it is understandable, Robin calls his “brainless” but that must be because he/she has no experience with racing and the emotions it can bring up in a rider.

A few selections from the Robin method of “Challenging for Improvement:”

“You guys should learn to think independently and use something called “critical thought.”
“Freakin’ brainless bloggers.”
“…brainless turd…”
“…feckless turd…”
“…regular cyclists can pedal about without having to be stained by the hipster/stupid blogger stench.”
“What a completely stupid statement.”
“Christ. Is someone supposed to take your crap seriously…….Tyler?”
“The critical thought shown here is astounding.”
“Wow. That’s an intellectual leap into nothingness.”
“…they are blithering idiots.”
“Bike Rumor’s really on top of things with this week old story.”

My problem isn’t that you’re criticizing the site, it’s that you’re being an over-emotional ass about it. Seriously, how about you calm down a little if you want anything you say to be taken seriously? Do you realize that you come across as a complete douche?

dirty racing…dirty

@Reggie: correct. No matter what happened in the race before the crash, there’s zero that justifies chucking some kit back into the peloton as they ride by. We’ll see what USA cycling does, if anything.

@Robin

While I agree that it is inapropriate to throw anything into a peleton, I cannot, for the life of me understand how one could conclude that Bahati’s actions were worse than those of Jake Keough. If you look at the right video footage, you can see Keough blatently come across Bahati’s wheel & crash him & 30 other riders. Not sure what your crit racing experience is, but I have over a 1000 crits under my belt and intentionally crashing someone is truely inexcusable.

Anyone who has raced with these clowns can tell you what most likely went down that day. But, just in case, you misplaced the listener call in number for the “Mr Obvious” show (Bob & Tom… you guys rock!)… let me spell it out for ya (the best I can beings since I wasn’t actually there). Most likely the big bad UHC lead out was lazy at best and way too slow. I’ve seen it many times… these crappy US pro teams “control” the front of the field for the last 10 laps with their pathetic 28 mph leadout trains by choping all the corners rather than actually going the speed required to keep the peleton at bay…safetly. Bahati’s team wasn’t around so naturally he looked to position himself where he felt necessary to win the race. In doing so, I have zero doubt in my mind that Rashaan rode agressively enough to annoy the panties off of young Jake.. who was sitting neatly at the tail end of the UHC leadout snail. After several laps of fighting off Bahati’s advances, Jake decided to end Rashaan’s race by hooking him to the pavement. Just ask Jake’s team director Mr Gord Fraser, he invented the “hook take down”… Hell in just 2 different races, I saw Gord himself crash 3 different riders intentionally. It appears Jake has learned from the best.

Let me ask you Robin… was Bahati’s reaction really more heineous than Jake’s intentional & successful hook? Again, I agree throwing anything at a racing peleton is all kinds of wrong, but have you ever been intentionally crashed??? Most take that very personally. Was Bahati’s agressive riding so outside the confines of American Criterium racing that he deserved to be crashed? So much so that he deserved to have HIS life & well being intentionally threatened? Not to mention the other 50 or so riders behind him, of which a good portion were almost guaranteed to suffer the same fate.

Mr Fraser will say that you must “respect the lead out train”, pointing the finger at Bahati’s agressive riding against Keough. And THAT is why Keough was in the right. I say BS! If you want your “lead out train” to be respected, run it in a respectful manner. Run it fast enought to discourage riders from penetrating it rather than choping everyone in the corners like a bunch of pansy a** 28mph Cat 3’s. Bottom line is: Fighting for position is part of bicycle racing, attempted manslaughter is not.

By the way… to say that Bahati should have simply controlled his emotion is to some degree a little naive. Let’s go for a ride together sometime & I can show you what I mean.

@ Old CAT 1 – BRAVO! EXACTLY!

I feel bad for the guy, but honestly it was a pretty diplomatic, noncommittal account. Not a lot of telling what happened other than Bahatti was fighting with UHC riders and it got ugly. That we know.

You really think that rider was faulting someone? I don’t.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7bgEK6qtWLQ&feature=related

in this video it clearly shows jake which is half a bike length ahead of bahati keeping his line after the turn. bahati going too fast or trying to force jake off his line runs into the middle of jakes bike and falls(0:08).

i have been raced more than 200 pro races and the rider in front has control of the line especially in a turn. furthermore the rider in front cannot see the rider behind him. bahati acted in a manner not becoming of pro or even amature racers. to let him get away with this is inviting gangster tatics in bike racing.

@oilcanRacer

Wrong crash bro…

I love a good debate. The vid here doesn’t really give enough clear evidence to me. Would you all be willing to consider the physics of a guy Behati’s size against a guy Keough’s size? His bike seems to being sliding more than turning to me, and Behati’s elbow is making contact behind Jake’s shoulder. If there was, as those that are racing claim, some serious jockeying between the two, could it be that it was indeed the wrong leverage at the wrong time? I also have a bit of trouble believing that someone would believe that it was worth risking the unknown injury and recovery just to crash another competitor. If it gets to that point, will it ever be safe to race crit? Just thoughts… Be safe out there.
Cheers.