This year, an inattentive spectator already caused the fall of half the peloton in Sunday’s 15th stage, when he wanted to take a selfie with the passing competitors, he was not paying attention and Sepp Kuss, Jonas Vingegaard’s key domestic, got in the way. His Jumbo-Visma stable is even considering a lawsuit over it.
A day earlier, Tadej Pogačar’s attack while climbing the Col de Joux Plane was stopped by a motorcycle that had nowhere to pass around the crowd of fans. “On the other hand, this is also the beauty of cycling. The magic of sports is that you drive directly among the fans. It’s a great feeling when they separate between you and propel you forward,” describes the experience of the 30-year-old Vakoč, who has already finished riding the road and is dedicated to gravel bikes.
“At the same time, unpleasant situations also occur. It would be worth putting a barrier at the end of the decisive, difficult climbs so that the competitors have the opportunity to overtake each other,” he tries to find a solution that will never be completely ideal. “However, in my opinion, it would be a shame to completely prohibit the fans from approaching the riders,” says Vakoč.
Studio TOUR with Petr Vakoč about the final week of the famous cycling raceVideo: Sport.cz
Cyclists alone can’t do much with unruly fans. “When someone from the audience simply acts like a fool, such carambolas occur. The racers try to teach them,” says Sport.cz cycling editor Matěj Vybíral. “When such stars as Tadej Pogačar and Jonas Vingegaard appeal to the fans, let’s hope that the audience becomes more aware of their responsibility,” the journalist continues.
Vakoč also appealed to the risky running of fanatical supporters next to cyclists. “It’s extremely dangerous. As a competitor, you have no idea when a fan will trip or push you,” he pointed out.
2023-07-19 10:30:00
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