OMG culture shock!

Lovely, lovely beer
(image credit: JMCStrav CC BY 3.0)

It's not often that you'll see football mentioned on this website - in fact, we promise that this is the last time - but it's worth mentioning that FIFA have declared beer must be sold at all venues hosting matches in the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. "Fifa General Secretary Jerome Valcke said the right to sell beer must be enshrined in a World Cup law the Brazilian Congress is considering," says the BBC.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the world, footy fans in Doha, Qatar are in high spirits. As reported by Al Jazeera: "Frenzied celebrations erupt across tiny Gulf nation after it wins bid to host 2022 football World Cup. Massive celebrations erupted on the streets of Doha, Qatar's capital, after Fifa, football's world governing body, announced the tiny Gulf country will host the sport's biggest tournament in 2022."

We foresee problems here: according to Wikipedia (thank goodness the blackout's over, eh folks? I bet there wasn't much school homework done last night), "Qatar bans the importation of alcohol and it is a punishable offense to drink alcohol or be drunk in public. Offenders may incur a prison sentence or deportation. Alcohol is, however, available at licensed hotel restaurants and bars, and non-Muslim expatriates living in Qatar can obtain alcohol on a permit system at the Qatar Distribution Center, the only distributor allowed to sell alcohol." 

Keeping tabs on small numbers of alcohol-drinking infidel is one thing, but does Qatar have a hope in hell on controlling several hundred thousand beer-swilling football fans? Probably not.

But then, Qatar also hosts a round of the UCI Asia  (cycling) Tour which is popular with European riders and fans who fancy a bit of winter sun. Fair play to them if the can stop the Dutch and Belgian fans getting shit-faced while they watch - have you seen Dutch Corner on the Alpe d'Huez?

In similar "OMG culture shock!!!" news, the Tour Down Under (ongoing atm) is all a-quiver at the moment after a woman complained because a foreign rider did what professional cyclists do during a race: yanked down his shorts and did the dirty deed right there in front of her and her eleven-year-old daughter. Apparently, public urination is strictly forbidden in Australia, which rather disproves the stereotype commonly believed by the British that "the Colonials lack fine manners" (apart from India, of course, where they probably had books on etiquette while we Brits were still living in caves - or, more likely, in Southern Europe wondering how to oust the Neanderthals).

Of course, in a civilised nation such as France the woman would grabbed the nearest receptacle and bottled it for future sale on Ebay.

Different strokes for...actually, we're not going there. But it's good to see that no matter how weird we all seem to one another, sport - and cycling in particular - brings us together.

(With thanks to @northernsooner and Wrongfellow)

Roelandts out of hospital, planning return

Roelandts
(image credit: Matthieu Riegler CC BY 3.0)

Jürgen Roelandts, the Lotto-Belisol rider who sustained a fracture to his sixth cervical vertebra (the parts of the spine directly below the skull) at the Tour Down Under two days ago, has been released from hospital and told the Gazet van Antwerpen newspaper that he plans to return to competition in time for this year's Tirreno-Adriatico - thus scotching reports soon after the 70kph crash that he might never cycle again.

"The doctors here have told me I'll need to wear a collar for six weeks, but [I can continue] limited training," says the 26-year-old from Asse, Flanders; adding, "We'll see what the Belgian doctors think." The race will be held between the 7th and 13th of March and is used by many riders as preparation for the Milan-San Remo, one of the Monument races in the European Classics, but Roelandts has not given indication that he plans to compete in that event too.

Directeur sportif Herman Frison is also optimistic: "There'll be some more tests - first, our team doctor, who may forward the rider to specialist Dr. Toon Claes in Herentals. How soon will Roelandts be back? I'm no doctor, but as a rider he's very impatient and won't want to be stuck on the sidelines for long."

Big crash at Tour Down Under

A broken hip could easily have
spelled the end of 40-year-old
 Guesdon's career
(image credit: Ludovic Peron CC BY-SA 3.0) 

Jürgen Roelandts may never ride again, reports Sky TV

The first stage of the Tour Down Under was marked by a high speed crash today with several riders suffering serious injuries. Jürgen Roelandts (Lotto-Belisol) has a neck fracture, Frédéric Guesdon (FDJ) a broken hip and Matteo Montagutti (AG2R) a snapped collarbone. Around 20 riders in all were involved in the 70kph accident.

FDJ has since stated that x-rays confirm 40-year-old Guesdon's hip is indeed broken; but  initial hopes that, as the break is relatively minor, the rider could make a full recovery and return to racing in time for Paris-Roubaix now look unlikely. The rider had previously stated that he would retire following the Monument, which will be held on the 8th of April, but directeur sportif Yvan Madiot now believes this is unlikely.

Roelandts underwent a scan which revealed that he has a fractured sixth cervical vertebrae and as such is fortunate to have escaped paralysis - fears that he might have other injuries have proved unfounded. Sky TV  reported fears that he too might face early retirement, but other sources are far more optimistic and his team haven't produced a press release to support the British broadcaster's report.

The crash took place 1km from the finish line of the 149km stage and was caused when Kenny van Hummel collided with a 70-year-old female spectator, who received minor injuries. Some spectators have criticised crowd control at the event - however, race directors told AdelaideNow that the rider had lost control on a patch of dirt, causing him to skid into the woman rather than the crash resulting from a failure to keep the road clear. Robbie McEwen of GreenEDGE, the Australian team launched one year ago today, was also in the crash; Vacansoleil's Romain Feillu fell earlier and is suffering stomach pains but will race again in the next stage.

Greipel, now riding with
Lotto-Belisol
(image credit: Manfred Werner-TSUI
CC BY-SA 3.0)

A group of four riders broke away early in the race and built a lead of  11'40"  before being caught by the peloton with 12km to the end of the  stage for a sprint finish. André Greipel, who used his Twitter account to pass on "get well soon" messages to the injured riders, won the stage - his ninth in the Tour to date - when he edged ahead of Alessandro Petacchi as they reached the line at the bottom of a short hill; thencriticised Petacchi's tactics after the race by claiming that he was veering from left to right with little care for the crash. The Italian rider refutes the claims, adding that he had nothing to do with the accident as it happened behind him and says that other than hearing it, he was unaware of what had happened. Race officials have viewed footage and support him, feeling that his conduct was not irregular.

Conditions along the parcours, which stretched from Prospect to Clare, are described as having been "brutal" with powerful winds and temperatures of 40°C. Fabio Sabatini of Liquigas-Cannondale took 3rd place. Greipel has attacked organisers, saying that in his opinion the parcours was unnecessarily dangerous. Race director Mike Turtur responded by saying that riders were given sufficient detail concerning hazards and the final section, but adds that he will meet Greipel to discuss the issue and his concerns.

Roelandts also used his Twitter to pass on congratulations to the German rider and posted a photograph of himself in the Accident and Emergency Department at Adelaide Hospital.

Video of the final sprint and crash