{"id":724801,"date":"2026-08-02T18:43:14","date_gmt":"2026-08-02T18:43:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/724801\/"},"modified":"2026-08-02T18:43:14","modified_gmt":"2026-08-02T18:43:14","slug":"we-can-learn-from-these-situations-einer-rubio-calls-for-better-tour-de-france-safety-regulations-following-his-alpe-dhuez-crash","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/724801\/","title":{"rendered":"‘We can learn from these situations’ – Einer Rubio calls for better Tour de France safety regulations following his Alpe d’Huez crash"},"content":{"rendered":"

Recovering from his crash into the back of the UAE Team Emirates-XRG team car<\/a> on Alpe d\u2019Huez, which ended his Tour de France<\/a> on stage 19, Einer Rubio<\/a> has called for change within the sport to prevent the repeat of similar accidents in the future.<\/p>\n

Ascending a crowded Alpe d\u2019Huez, Rubio found himself riding close to the back bumper of the UAE Team Emirates-XRG car, having just been passed by eventual stage winner Tadej Poga\u010dar, when a spectator fell in front of the vehicle, forcing the driver to brake hard. Rubio crashed into the back window, breaking the glass and curtailing his Tour two days early.<\/p>\n

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Rubio came away with 20 stitches on his face. A little over a week after the incident, Rubio shared an image of himself on Instagram<\/a> back home in Colombia, with the cuts and scratches from his collision with the car evident.<\/p>\n

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The 28-year-old has suggested that his crash was avoidable, pointing to crowd control and vehicle access to the climb as contributing factors.<\/p>\n

\u201cA few days have passed since the accident at the Tour de France and, as the saying goes, you have to put on a brave face in difficult times,\u201d Rubio said.<\/p>\n

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\u201cPerhaps it would have been different with better barriers on the climb, stricter control over vehicle access and more cautious fans\u2026No one expects to finish a race this way, but that is what happened.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe cannot change the past, but we can learn from these situations,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

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With two stages back-to-back ascending up the town of Alpe d\u2019Huez, huge crowds flocked to the famous mountain and its 21 hairpins. Parts of the climb included barriers, holding fans back from the riders and race vehicles, but the section where Rubio\u2019s crash occurred did not contain barriers.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am recovering, and I will be back soon,\u201d Rubio concluded. He had been scheduled to race the Vuelta a Espa\u00f1a to complete the rare feat of racing all three Grand Tours in one season, but his return to racing has not yet been confirmed.<\/p>\n

The driver of the UAE Team Emirates-XRG car and the team\u2019s Sports Manager, Joxean Fern\u00e1ndez Matxin, shared his perspective of the incident at the time, emphasising the number of people lining the mountain.<\/p>\n

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\u201cIn the final kilometres of the Alpe d\u2019Huez climb, with thousands of fans right next to the road and the immense pressure typical of a decisive Tour stage, a spectator suddenly ran out and fell right beneath our vehicle,\u201d Matxin said on Instagram<\/a>. \u201cMy only reaction was to brake immediately to avoid running him over. It all happened in a split second, and my only thought was preventing a far worse tragedy.\u201d<\/p>\n

“I believe it is 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,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

Whether enough was done to ensure the safety of the riders, race officials, team staff and fans is up for debate, as are other potential measures which could be implemented in the future.<\/p>\n

Race director Thierry Gouvenou defended A.S.O\u2019s actions at the time, saying that the race organisation had done more than in previous years to make the event safer.<\/p>\n

“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,” he told Sporza<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt has to come mainly from the mindset of the supporters,\u201d Gouvenou added. 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

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