As cycling wrestles with safety, urban planners put a bump in the road
Published Jul 3, 2023 06:18 am
VICTORIA (AFP) -- Mark Cavendish and the bulked up fast men should dispute the first bunch sprint of the Tour de France at Bayonne on Monday, July 3, in an ever more dangerous competition.
 *Mark Cavendish. (AFP)*Â
While the death of Gino Maeder on the Tour of Switzerland last month was a reminder of the dangers of high-speed mountain descents, frenzied sprint finishes on flat city-center roads have always carried the risk of spectacular crashes. In recent years, as the urban environment has become a slower, safer place for casual cyclists, one of the culprits increasing the risk for the professionals is the bike lanes themselves. And that is causing concern for the Tour de France which traditionally finishes with high-speed laps through the glamourous center of Paris. "It's getting more difficult to organize finish lines in town centers," Tour de France race designer Thierry Gouvenou told AFP. Thrilling finales in downtown urban centers are hugely popular with fans and provide a televisual spectacle to rival the Tour's summit showdowns in the mountains. Kerbs, round-about, traffic islands, speed bumps and the newer phenomenon of cycling lanes, protected by a small ridge of concrete or stone, are all meant to slow traffic and create a safer the urban environment. The opening stage of this year's Tour, round Bilbao on Saturday, bounced over 96 speed bumps, a race record. And the pack will continue to find obstacles in their path after crossing the border on Monday. "In a country such as France roads are not made for going fast any more, but to slow speeds down," said former Belgain world champion Philippe Gilbert.
'Mark their territory'
Tour director Christian Prudhomme says road furniture is "doubling in presence every six years or seven years along the Tour route". "In daily life this is just the ticket, but for cycle racing it doesn't make an easy fit," said Prudhomme. More and more bike lanes and roundabouts are appearing. "Local politicians need to mark their territory this way by showing voters they are doing something. After every election there's a new traffic island filled with flowers along the road," grumbles Philippe Mauduit, director of the Groupama-FDJ team. The omnipresence of road furniture has massively increased the likelihood of a high speed crash when the speeds tip towards 80 kph approaching the finish. "Since Covid there has been an explosion of them and so much the better. But for us it's one more obstacle," says Gouvenou. Changes along the world-famous Paris boulevard of the Champs Elysees and on the Rue de Rivoli, which now has a bike-lane divider down the middle, have organizers in a cold sweat. The pressure increases in the Tour de France. A rider can dine out for life on one win and that win might earn him a blockbuster contract and his team a new advertising deal. The most determined riders pursue victory regardless of danger.
'Switch off your brain'
"In a bunch sprint even though the risks are high you need to switch off your brain. If you don't you have no chance," said Axel Zingle of Cofidis. The death of Swiss cyclist Maeder brought not only safety into the spotlight but also the behavior in the peloton. "Falls are often caused by the riders themselves," Dutch star Mathieu van der Poel said this week. "With Gino it looks like it was sheer bad luck though." Tour organizers are working with urban authorities to temporarily remove as much of the road furniture as possible. "But we can't tear everything down," ASO said. Tuesday's stage four finish is on a motor racing circuit at Nogaro, but those kind of finales are less attractive to fans or television viewers. Races will end up finishing in "supermarket parking lots", said Stephen Delcourt, manager of the FDJ-Suez team and president of the UNIO, which works for safety in women's cycling. Meanwhile roadside spectators, armchair fans and cyclists alike, will continue to hold their breath as the peloton charges over obstacles toward the finish.
 *Mark Cavendish. (AFP)*Â
While the death of Gino Maeder on the Tour of Switzerland last month was a reminder of the dangers of high-speed mountain descents, frenzied sprint finishes on flat city-center roads have always carried the risk of spectacular crashes. In recent years, as the urban environment has become a slower, safer place for casual cyclists, one of the culprits increasing the risk for the professionals is the bike lanes themselves. And that is causing concern for the Tour de France which traditionally finishes with high-speed laps through the glamourous center of Paris. "It's getting more difficult to organize finish lines in town centers," Tour de France race designer Thierry Gouvenou told AFP. Thrilling finales in downtown urban centers are hugely popular with fans and provide a televisual spectacle to rival the Tour's summit showdowns in the mountains. Kerbs, round-about, traffic islands, speed bumps and the newer phenomenon of cycling lanes, protected by a small ridge of concrete or stone, are all meant to slow traffic and create a safer the urban environment. The opening stage of this year's Tour, round Bilbao on Saturday, bounced over 96 speed bumps, a race record. And the pack will continue to find obstacles in their path after crossing the border on Monday. "In a country such as France roads are not made for going fast any more, but to slow speeds down," said former Belgain world champion Philippe Gilbert.
'Mark their territory'
Tour director Christian Prudhomme says road furniture is "doubling in presence every six years or seven years along the Tour route". "In daily life this is just the ticket, but for cycle racing it doesn't make an easy fit," said Prudhomme. More and more bike lanes and roundabouts are appearing. "Local politicians need to mark their territory this way by showing voters they are doing something. After every election there's a new traffic island filled with flowers along the road," grumbles Philippe Mauduit, director of the Groupama-FDJ team. The omnipresence of road furniture has massively increased the likelihood of a high speed crash when the speeds tip towards 80 kph approaching the finish. "Since Covid there has been an explosion of them and so much the better. But for us it's one more obstacle," says Gouvenou. Changes along the world-famous Paris boulevard of the Champs Elysees and on the Rue de Rivoli, which now has a bike-lane divider down the middle, have organizers in a cold sweat. The pressure increases in the Tour de France. A rider can dine out for life on one win and that win might earn him a blockbuster contract and his team a new advertising deal. The most determined riders pursue victory regardless of danger.
'Switch off your brain'
"In a bunch sprint even though the risks are high you need to switch off your brain. If you don't you have no chance," said Axel Zingle of Cofidis. The death of Swiss cyclist Maeder brought not only safety into the spotlight but also the behavior in the peloton. "Falls are often caused by the riders themselves," Dutch star Mathieu van der Poel said this week. "With Gino it looks like it was sheer bad luck though." Tour organizers are working with urban authorities to temporarily remove as much of the road furniture as possible. "But we can't tear everything down," ASO said. Tuesday's stage four finish is on a motor racing circuit at Nogaro, but those kind of finales are less attractive to fans or television viewers. Races will end up finishing in "supermarket parking lots", said Stephen Delcourt, manager of the FDJ-Suez team and president of the UNIO, which works for safety in women's cycling. Meanwhile roadside spectators, armchair fans and cyclists alike, will continue to hold their breath as the peloton charges over obstacles toward the finish.