Everything was going well until then. In Altkirch (Haut-Rhin), young runners Célia Gery (Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Rhône-Alpes) and Amandine Muller (Grand Est) led the way during the French U 19 Championships. It was sure, with 3 minutes left. 31 km ahead of the peloton, these two, also teammates in cyclo-cross, were going to compete for victory. Muller then took over from Gery, without paying attention to the surrounding danger. This came from the car of the sports director of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes team.
At the same time as he was driving, sports director Julien Guiborel gave his protégé some advice. It was then that his car swerved slightly and the bumper brushed Muller’s rear wheel, immediately unbalanced by the impact. Gery followed closely and was unable to avoid her, also falling backwards after hitting her opponent on the ground.
Amandine Muller (Grand Est) and Célia Gery (Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes) were accidentally hit by the vehicle of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes team, at the 31st kilometer of the U19 women’s race of the 2024 Cycling of the Future championships pic.twitter.com/7LHxwEACmO
— France 3 Alsace (@F3Alsace) May 12, 2024
Aware of his clumsiness, the sports director immediately stopped to come to Muller’s bedside, while Gery, visibly less affected, was already getting on his bike. Having left earlier, the Ardéchoise waited for Muller, before winning it and winning alone with a lead of 3′42″.
Contacted by Le Parisien, the sporting director and unfortunate driver Julien Guiborel did not wish to speak. “I am in contact with Amandine, whom I know very well, it is between the athletes and me,” he simply replied. There is no need for an intermediary press. »
Hot, in the mixed zone, he still apologized to the two runners. Even if the accident did not prevent them from finishing the race, the fall still left some after-effects.
“I hope we didn’t get hurt”
“After falling, Célia was able to start again straight away, but I had to change bikes,” Amandine Muller reacted after the race to the site Direct Bike. But it wasn’t my size and the position was weird. My arm and elbow were a little sore, but it was okay. I was mostly in shock. » The runner from the Grand Est was then in tears, despite her satisfaction at having “given everything to hold on”.
Gery, also junior cyclo-cross world champion, contained her joy: “I’m happy to win, but I hope we didn’t hurt ourselves,” she modestly whispered. ‘arrival. While waiting to determine their state of health, a question arises: can victory be taken away from the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes team, which indirectly “benefited” from the accident?
“No one is at fault”
“Not at all”, we respond from the side of the organization of the race, managed by the French Cycling Federation. “It’s a fact of racing, these things happen,” we continue. In no case is there a fault of the sports director. » On the video of the fall, captured by France 3 Alsace, broadcaster of the race, the sports director’s car nevertheless seems to change trajectory to hit the athlete’s wheel. The dotted line demarcating the two traffic lanes makes it possible to discern this slight deviation to the left.
The sports director’s eyes are also, at this moment, riveted on his runner, located at his height on his left, and not in front of him. “No one is at fault,” we swear in the organization. In any case, the accident – the consequences of which could have been much more serious, Gery having won with an average of 35 km/h – relaunches the debate on the safety of athletes in racing and the behavior of the cars.
