Hoogerland and Flecha and both tough men to finish the stage after that crash.

This is incomprehensible... How can a driver covering the tour take out the leaders - I am SO angry for the riders...

Chute alors! Cyclist sent cartwheeling into the gutter by a careless driver - just like the daily commute then.

After yesterday' s fiasco in the tour I would hope the Tour Officials decide to give Johnny Hoogerland & Juan Antonio Flecha the same time as Thomas Voeckler group, It was certainly not classed as a racing incident more one of stupidity
I believe that the whole field would find it justifiable if these where given the same result
Let's hope the Tour Officials see common sense

The dignity with which Flecha and Hoogerland dealt with this was exemplary. Maybe certain footballers should be shown this so they can learn how to behave in public. This was a potentially career threatening incident for both riders and yet Flecha apologised to Hoogerland for knocking him off!

RE. Tony Danson.Good surgestion about same time,as the accident was due to offcial tour entourage that's the least they can do!!! they could have been killed,what then???.the organisation don't know how lucky they are.BUT I doubt it will happen.

I agree with Tony Danson. Both Hoogerland and Flecha should be given the same time as the Voeckler group. That would ensure some kind of justice. Presumably the French police will have something to say/do with regard to the dangerous and reckless driving involved in the incident. The French are more protective of their cyclists.

The driver is very lucky he didn't kill anyone, when I saw Hoogerland go I thought the worst, especially with the wooden fence post sticking up. Flecha is an absolute gent for apologising and both riders should be give the same time. However with only one rest day I don't think it will more more than a gesture, but one worth giving.

I just hope that Hoogerland and Fletcha will both be OK what happened is totally unacceptable

Mind you anyone who has ever driven in France will not be remotely surprised by the drivers actions.

All French drivers seem to have an inbuilt need to be in front on what ever is in front of them, in fact they remind me of Jack Russell terriers being taken for a walk, "me first, me first "

I should point out that I am a total Francophile I love the people the country and their culture, BUT their driving is surreal to say the least!

I strongly agree with Tony Danson that these two very brave riders should be given the same time as the Thomas Voeckler group. I am sure that they would have been up there at the finish if it had not been for this stupid accident which was not their fault in any way.

I'm sure the law is different in France, but why wasn't the driver arrested? Careless driving and leaving the scene of an accident? Looked like a hit and run to me.

Just how tough are these guys!, however I can't understand how the driver wasn't stopped immediately by the gendarmerie. This was the clearest case of a hit & run I could imagine and wreckless driving is the minimum the driver should expect, along with compensation claims from both riders and also there teams

What was a non-Le Tour Offical Vehicle doing there anyway? I thought only the offical camera bike and any designated commissaires/judges/race officials are allowed past the lead riders - oh, and other riders attacking of course. Not even the team cars are supposed to be ahead of the race leader/s!

If a media car does go past, then that is down to poor policing by the race organisation and absolutely no fault of the riders. In which case, I agree, they should be given the benefit of the doubt and get the same time as at least the last of the breakaway riders. If not that, then definately the main bunch time.

What a great idea to give Fletcha and Hoogerland the same time. It would not make up for their injuries but would bring some justice to the incident. They are both good riders who would have been at least been there at the finish to contest for the stage win.

I sincerely hope the driver is severly dealt with for an act of gross recklessness and stupidity! They are very lucky the riders were not more seriously injured. I was stunned they drove off and didn't even check the riders were ok! At least the driver of the tour car following the group had his wits about him.

Maybe next year, the press drivers (bike or car) should take an 'advanced' type course on Bike Race Awareness?

It certainly was a hit and run incident (as we clearly saw on the TV coverage) and I can't understand why the police did not immediately stop the driver from continuing. Giving the two crashed riders the same finish time as the breakaway group would be a worthy gesture of fair play, but is probably too radical for the race organisation (which after all has allowed the roads within the Tour to become so crowded by potentially dangerous race vehicles) to contemplate.

I agree 100% with the calls for Flecha and Hoogerland to be given the same time as the group that they were in. It seems obvious to me, much more obvious than the rule which compensates in the same way for crashes in the final 3km of a stage. There is no doubt whatsoever that they would have finished with Voeckler et al. In face with them in the mix it's almost certain that the winning time would have been even quicker.

it's simply outrageous that in ushc a high profile sporting event such things are left to chance. that a support car which is not supposed to be there, has the possibility of knocking over the leading riders, is simply beyond comprehension. Without doubt give the riders the same time as the group - they were incredibly strong to get back on and into the race.

At this rate of casualties, Desgrange's original wish to produce a Tour de France so demanding that only one rider would survive, is going to come very near to being realised. David Millar looked as wasted as any rider I have ever seen at the end of Sunday's stage. Has anyone mentioned Riviere's crash in 1960 which almost killed him? Not too far away geographically from the site of Vinikourov's disaster

Hoogerland for sports personality of the year. The dignity with which he spoke after such a traumatic incident puts many so called sportsmen and women to shame.

Hoogerland for president