The fans are crowded at the edge of the route at the Tour de France, often without barriers, the drivers are then only centimeters away. This should motivate the cyclists and drive them to peak performance, especially in the mountains, but collisions occur again and again.
This can have dramatic consequences for the athletes – from precious seconds that are lost to falls and injuries. Some drivers are therefore annoyed by fans who are too intrusive. Just like Pello Bilbao: The Spaniard from Team Bahrain Victorious gave a clear signal to a spectator who got too close to him. He gave him a light slap on the head before preparing to start.
The scene took place about eight kilometers before the finish of the 17th stage. Bilbao found themselves in a breakaway group with chances of winning the day on the section that was rated as particularly difficult. Ultimately he had to admit defeat to the Austrian Felix Gall, but at least distanced himself from the yellow jersey wearer Jonas Vingegaard and made it onto the podium in third place.
At this year’s Tour de France, there have been frequent clashes between riders and fans. On the eighth stage, Belgian Steff Cras collided with a spectator who had come too close to the track and had to get out injured. Afterwards he scolded on Twitter: “You have no respect for the drivers! I hope you feel really guilty. I have to leave the tour because of you.”
After that, there was a mass crash on stage 15 when a fan with one arm accidentally tripped driver Sepp Kuss. A total of 20 other riders were involved in the crash. The French police have identified the viewer and are investigating him.
Sources: Twitter / Steff Cras on Twitter
Also read: Incredible physical performance, emotions, pressure and competition: In a new documentary series, Netflix shows how the Tour de France is really going – but almost completely omits one topic.
