After the predictable chaos up Alpe d’Huez on Friday, the Tour de France‘s course designer has defended the organisation’s approach to crowd control, also putting Einer Rubio’s shocking crash into the back of a UAE Team Emirates-XRG vehicle down to having “new cars with sensors everywhere” in the convoy.
Several riders were disrupted by the hoards of spectators positioned along the 21 bends of the climb: race leader Tadej Pogačar flailed his hand to part the crowds en route to victory, and second-placed Remco Evenepoel was blocked by fans and motorbikes as he tried to accelerate away from his podium rivals.
But the worst affected on stage 19 was Movistar’s Rubio, who required a trip to hospital and 20 stitches to his face after smashing into the back of a UAE Team Emirates-XRG car that suddenly braked to a standstill and being forced to abandon the race due to his bloody injuries.
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Driving the car was UAE’s Sports Manager Joxean Fernández Matxin, who apologised for what happened to Rubio and was left emotional after the accident. Explaining his view from inside the car, Matxin confirmed that it was due to a spectator falling in front of them that the car suddenly came to a halt.
“In the final kilometres of Alpe d’Huez, with thousands of fans very close to the road and the huge pressure that is always present on any crucial stage of the Tour noticeable as well, a spectator unexpectedly burst onto the scene and fell right under our vehicle,” said the UAE manager on his Instagram account.
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“My only reaction was to brake right away to avoid running over him. It all happened in a few tenths of a second, during which time my only thoughts were about how to avoid a much bigger tragedy.
“After braking, we heard the sound of an impact behind us, but amidst the noise, tension, the crowds and the responsibility of continuing to protect the leader of the race, it wasn’t until we reached the finish line that I found out about the extent of the crash and that Einer had to abandon the Tour. I immediately called Movistar – the squad’s directors and riders… to express my concern and find out about everything that had happened.”
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Responding to the fan-caused incident, Tour Race Director Thierry Gouvenou placed the blame with the technology, not the mass crowds, saying an older vehicle would have prevented the incident. However, he didn’t mention what would have happened had the UAE car not stopped as quickly as it did, as he explained the crazy day to Sporza.
“Could that accident have been avoided? Perhaps all accidents are preventable at the moment they happen, but it is clear that nowadays we also have new cars with sensors everywhere,” Gouvenou told Sporza.
“The car registered a spectator who had fallen in front of it, braked abruptly, and the engine cut out. If we had had cars that were twenty years older, the accident would not have happened.”
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Whatever the cause, Matxin was clearly left upset by the incident, even apologising to the Colombian: “I am deeply sorry for the consequences of this accident. If my decisions at that particular moment have ended up affecting a cyclist in the peloton, I can only say that it hurts me deeply.
“At the same time, I think it’s important to remember that the safety of riders, teams and fans also depends on the responsible behaviour of those who enjoy this sport from the roadside.
“I hope from the bottom of my heart I will see you racing again soon, just as you should be. It hasn’t been an easy day for me and I needed to pass this message on to you.”
Are the race organisers ASO doing enough?
Remco Evenepoel was briefly held up by motorbikes after trying to attack on stage 19 (Image credit: Getty Images)
Despite what happened to Rubio and the fans congregating in the latter bends to form overcrowded tunnels for the riders to treacherously pass through, Gouvenou was satisfied with the measures ASO took to try and limit the madness.
“There is a myth surrounding Alpe d’Huez, causing all supporters to want to meet at this particular spot. We don’t know exactly why, because the climb is no more difficult than other cols. But Alpe d’Huez is legendary and everyone will be there. And it is true that there were a huge number of them yesterday. So that still worries us a bit,” Gouvenou added.
“But I do want to say that the vast majority are behaving reasonably well: we see fewer spectators walking alongside the riders, but there remains a small percentage of spectators that is still doing a bit of everything and spoiling the party a little.
“We have already taken measures. We closed Alpe d’Huez the day before at 2 p.m. to prevent cars from driving up. Compared to previous years, a tremendous number of extra barriers have been put in place. Ropes have been stretched and posts installed. More police officers have been deployed on the climb.”
Other suggestions have been offered up as a result of Alpe d’Huez simply becoming more crowded and concentrated in certain areas, with the safety of riders a genuine concern. The Frenchman responded to some of these, but largely dismissed them as impossible or unlikely to make a significant change.
“You could also ban spectators. We could put up fences, but will the supporters stay behind them? I remember the last time in the Basque Country that we put up fences on the final climb and the supporters just climbed right over them,” Gouvenou said.
“It is not that simple. It has to come mainly from the mindset of the supporters. The solution is to make it as clear as possible to the supporters that they must have respect for the riders. Restrictive measures alone will not suffice.
Alpe d’Huez returns on stage 20 at the end of the queen stage, but without ascending all 21 of the hectic bends again, with the riders instead heading up the Col de Sarenne side before dipping down and racing the last 4km to the finish of the Alpe.
Whenever the climb returns in future years to the Tour de France, by the sounds of it, it will look largely the same as it did on Friday. Gouvenou’s final comments were related to the possibility of charging fans to go up the iconic climb: “That does not fit the spirit of the Tour. It is a free sport for the spectators. That is precisely the great strength of cycling. That is not the path we should follow.”
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