Protests, crashes cause chaos at Tour de France
Tear gas in riders’ eyes. A farmers’ protest blocking the road. Two key crashes on dangerous descents.
The only thing lacking from the wild 16th stage of the Tour de France on Tuesday was a shakeup in the overall standings.
Frenchman Julian Alaphilippe took advantage of his downhill skills to win the first of three mountainous legs in the Pyrenees, which was briefly interrupted when police used tear gas to disperse a farmers’ protest that had blocked the road with bales of hay.
The overall standings were unchanged. Geraint Thomas, in the yellow jersey, second place Chris Froome and third place Tom Dumoulin all crossed together nearly nine minutes behind.
The farmers’ protest occurred 30 kilometres into the 218-kilometre leg from Carcassonne to Bagneresde-Luchon.
Thomas, Froome, Peter Sagan and other riders were treated with eye drops due to the tear gas amid a 15-minute delay.
“I just felt my throat and nose were burning, eyes were burning afterward,” Froome said. “But I think quite a lot of riders were in a similar situation. Thankfully the effect didn’t last long ”
It was the latest in a series of incidents involving spectators during this year’s race, with Team Sky riders being pushed and spat on and 2014 champion Vincenzo Nibali having his back broken in a crash when a fan caught their camera strap on his handlebars.
“We feel safe. Obviously on some of the climbs not everyone’s our fans, but we don’t feel threatened,” Thomas said. “It’s hard in cycling when you’re just on the open road. It’s not like football or something. Everyone’s doing the best they can, and hopefully, everyone can just behave and let us race.”
The small group of farmers from the Aude department were protesting a planned reduction of European Union funding, according to French authorities.
“We are not going to lock the riders in a stadium or a tennis court,” tour director Christian Prudhomme said. “People should not block the road, no matter what causes they are fighting for.”
Thomas remained one-minute 39 seconds ahead of four-time champion Froome with Dumoulin 1:50 back.
Alaphilippe took the lead when Adam Yates crashed on a technical descent in the finale.
“I knew the finale was tricky,” Alaphilippe said. “I was sad for (Yates), but it could have happened to me, too, because I took a lot of risks . ... I went all out for 220 kilometres today. I’m exhausted.”
Belgian rider Philippe Gilbert was leading when he crashed earlier in the stage while descending from the Col de Portet-d’Aspet, hitting a wall and flipping off his bike spectacularly, but avoiding major injury.
“I thought I was broken everywhere,” said Gilbert, a teammate of Alaphilippe’s on the Quick- Step team. “But I ended up more or less OK.”
The race remains in the Pyrenees Wednesday for what could be the most challenging stage of the tour, a 65-kilometre leg from Bagneresde Luchon to Saint-Lary-Soulan Col du Portet that features three gruelling climbs, including an uphill finish.
“It’s going to be massively decisive,” Thomas said. “That last climb is possibly the toughest climb in the tour — 16 kilometres, 2,200 metres (altitude).”