We all hope it ends in a few minutes. Between the time trial, Courchevel, and Saturday's stage, Vingegaard and Pogacar find the momentum for the decisive attack, which will make this Tour memorableBut if the differences were to remain in seconds, how could we explain to Pogacar that those few not earned on the Col de Joux Plane due to a motorbike were they a minor thing? And how can we convince Hindley that it was right to lose third place thanks to in the wake of cars and motorcycles thanks to which Carlos Rodriguez returned to the top?
An infallible machine
Il Tour de France it grows, if not in numbers then certainly in details. The organization is so well done that at times it leaves you breathless.The chat for accredited journalists provides such timely information that you could stay at home and say you're in France, there is so much data you are inundated with every day. The teams tell with relief and enthusiasm that almost every day (certainly on those that might present problems), there are police motorbikes that escort them to the hotelsNot to mention the evacuations after the uphill arrivals. When the convoy escorted by the Gendarmerie leaves, the rest of the world – fans' cars, campers and every other vehicle – are stopped with a unique rigorA lot of commotion happened at the Giro d'Italia for the Gran Sasso helicopters, here all the teams are sure to have a clear path from the finish line to the hotel. Also because This year, hotels have almost never been located prohibitively close to arrivals.
Motorcycles on the Joux Plane
We could go on praising the skill of the ASO men, but for this very reason what happened on Saturday in the Morzine stage it deserves some reflection for a good purpose.
There were about 600 meters to go before the GPM of Col de Joux Plane, when Pogacar sprinted to get the time bonus on the summit and had to get up again due to the presence of two motorbikes on the road that slowed its momentum. One from French television, the other from Bernard Papon, a longtime photographer for L'Equipe, who is the true master of the road around here. The two were disqualified for the next stage and fined 500 Swiss francs.
A step back, however. To make the challenge on some mountains more exciting, the Tour has provided that discounts will be given at the summitThe system works, but it doesn't adequately take into account the increasingly large, intrusive, and often – it must be said – undisciplined crowds. Some fans, much more than before, think they can do as they please., almost as if they were protagonists of the stage on a par with the athletes.
The photographer speaks
On the day of the mess, the two bikes were certainly too close to the athletes, they shouldn't have been so close. However, if they had been 10 meters further away, they wouldn't have been able to take those images, because the fans would have slipped in betweenThe operators' working space is shrinking: the crowds and VIP vehicles are growing. How do they get out of this? And who's to say that when it was time to leave, they didn't have too many people in front of them, impeding their acceleration?
«There were so many people – Papon explained - that the pool was called (that is, a single motorbike which will then give the photos to all the other photographers, ed.). When I saw that Pogacar had left, I told my driver, who he simply replied that he couldn't speed upAnd when Pogacar joined us, we found ourselves in a delicate situation. The crowd was so dense that we had to make a choice: interrupt the rider's effort or throw oneself into the crowd and injure people.
«I will not defend the indefensible: we should never find ourselves in this kind of situationI should have asked my driver to clear the gap faster and earlier. Next time I'll speed up and not take the photo, too bad. It's all planned from the point of view of the regulations for these situations. We made a mistake and I am deeply sorry for Tadej Pogacar and the show».
Barriers at 500 meters
300 meters from the top, cordons kept fans away from the street and this allowed Vingegaard to attack and take 8 seconds of bonus, while Pogacar had to settle for 5. But above all, their slowdown after that mess, allowed Rodriguez to return.
Behind the first two there was such a queue of motorcycles and cars and not all with a specific role in the race, that one wonders if gigantism and the presence of VIPs in the caravan at certain times do not risk influencing the competition. When Pogacar stopped attacking for those 300 meters and started to climb at 15 km/h, Behind him this column compacted, lengthened and allowed Rodriguez to have a reference in his pursuit.
Perhaps this day deserves a reflection, which we are sure the ASO men will have already doneThe mountain finishes with time bonuses were beautiful. It's a shame that those two bikes were so close together (let's be honest, we'd all like those photos). But Maybe if important seconds are at stake up there for the yellow jersey, barriers or ropes should be put up from 500 metersWhen you accustom your people to perfection, one slip-up is enough for everyone to turn up their noses.
