The Tour de France is it too dangerous?

The Belgian Frederik Willems and American David Zabriskie (lying) are being treated after a fall on Sunday during the ninth stage. 

 

La Grande Boucle turns shooting gallery with fourteen already abandoned.

 

• The field in shock  :

The image of Juan Antonio Flecha (Sky does not preclude legal action) and Johnny Hoogerland hit by a car in France Televisions at the 9 th stage impressed the pack. "This is not acceptable. I had never seen it in fourteen Tours de France, "growls Jens Voigt , a senior member of the test. "It is not possible. It's very shocking, "responded Andy Schleck , the leader in Leopard-Trek . Hoogerland Dutchman, who has been asked 33 stitches as a result of its "sun" in the wire, expressed his injury: "It was a terrible accident. Even if the driver was not on purpose, I do not forgive. All my life I marks the fall. "The question of the physical integrity of runners arises all the more acute than Nicki Sorensen had been unbalanced by a motorcycle press at the 5th stage . If a tragedy has been averted for now, the cycling year marked by the death of Belgian rider Wouter Weylandt after a fall in the Giro and the crash of Colombian Juan Mauricio Soler in the Tour de Suisse (placed in coma after hitting a spectator) said that the safety of the riders is often a thread.

• Safety, the organizer of obsession  :

The painful memory of the death of Italian Fabio Casartelli in 1995 guide ASO, the organizer of the Tour, in preparations for the first annual global sporting event. Christian Prudhomme , the director of the event, reminding us his main concern: " The obsession with the Tour, is security. Whether you are constantly asked about the business of doping, also yes, but the reality is the safety of players and spectators. "The words acted upon since the two vehicles broke guilty of runners were excluded. Hoogerland has also estimated yesterday that security on the Tour was not failing, "In the Giro, they want us to go down the Montegrossi. That's dangerous! The Road to Sunday was not. Everything is very well organized. Maybe he just need better rules for vehicles. "ASO could eventually limit the number (currently 200 130 cars and 70 motorcycles).

• A critical path:

The waterfall falls from the start in the Vendee questions still on the drawing a card matching the 2011 Tour of agricultural shows in France. "There are many small roads this year," says Fränk Schleck . A sinuous, narrow where the slightest break concentration is paid in cash. Rain, wind and willingness of riders to ride at the forefront and have eliminated many of the race favorites. To the point of Fabian Cancellara out of joint: "The falls, it is the occupational hazard. But the turn was really dangerous in the descent of the Pas-de-Peyrol. If there had been people to report it, there would be no fall. The course is really special. I feel that the organizers sought the most dangerous roads. "

• The nervousness of the pack:

Experienced by the side wind from the early days, riders have rubbed to be at the forefront. A fight constantly reinforced by the fact that no team is dominant enough to anesthetize the race and no leader has enough authority - as Armstrong in his time - to calm the heat of the pack. "There is not enough space on the front line for 10 teams," said Bjarne Riis , the manager of Saxo Bank. "There's always more and more riders who want to be. The platoon is also to blame in the fact that there were so many falls, "says Voigt.