Bike Racing

[Graham Breeze]

I generally agree with the sentiment and also being a lifelong TT fan, I can see the comparison. However, the TT is at the extreme end of the scale. Most cycling crashes you could expect to survive and severe injuries and deaths are thankfully rare. With speeds of 200mph in places on what are basically A roads, death or very serious injury is practically inevitable at the TT but as you say the riders know and accept the risk. Yes cyclists do too but the risk is surely less an probably easier to accept?

Gino Mäder was the cyclist who lost his life as a result of his injuries on stage 5 of the Tour de Suisse. Magnus Sheffield also crashed out in the same corner of a long steep descent.
i agree that descending is an integral part of the sport and an art that only a few can master (see various Tom Pidcock videos on YouTube) but I do wonder if at times more emphasis is put on the inclusion of certain iconic and testing climbs rather than a safe way to get off them.
Some of the road surfaces, width of the road and weather make for treacherous racing with few willing to gamble to gain a few seconds. Great tele but at what cost?

That descent has been used in previous Tours.

Interestingly:

Fury as cyclist killed at "dangerous" Swiss race

The D Telegraph 6 pictures 1 1/2 pages

Mader, 26, dies after crashing into ravine at Tour de Suisse

The Times, one picture of Mader, less than 1/4 page.

Compare and contrast?

The DT is technically bankrupt and is now owned by its bankers so is desperate for sales.

It shows.