2023-07-16 11:38:14
Did the motorcycles distort the race? All observers asked themselves the same question on Saturday at the top of the Col de Joux Plane. The scene shocked fans of the little Queen. While Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard waged a daunting battle on the slopes of the only pass classified out of category of the day, the Slovenian decided to place a second attack, after having taken his rival off his wheel for 3 km, in order to go get the 8 seconds of bonuses offered at the top.
But when he got up on his pedals, two motorcycles, one from France Télévisions, the other from a photographer from L’Équipe, Bernard Papon, could not accelerate in the face of the gathered crowd, thus blocking the attacking “Pogi” and cutting off his legs. An error on their part, when they could have taken the field slightly earlier, which 500m later offered bonuses to Jonas Vingegaard, who had taken the lead at the top. This Sunday, the culprits give their version of the facts, pleading guilty in L’Équipe.
“There were so many people that the pool was set up,” explains Bernard Papon. The “pool” is in fact a device allowing a single photographer to take pictures for all the journalists. It is set up in certain passes in order to limit the number of motorcycles present on the road and therefore to disturb the riders as little as possible.
“When I see that Pogacar is starting, I tell my pilot, who replies that he simply cannot pick up, relates the photographer. And when it hits us, we find ourselves in a delicate situation. The public is so dense that there is a choice to be made in the moment: break the effort of the runner or line up in the public and injure people. »
“Next time I speed up and I don’t take the picture”
However, Bernard Papon does not clear himself: “I am not going to defend the indefensible: we must not find ourselves in this kind of situation. I should have asked my pilot to take the field faster and earlier. Next time I accelerate and I don’t take the picture, too bad. Everything is planned from the point of view of the regulations for this situation. We made a mistake and I am deeply sorry for Tadej Pogacar and for the show. »
Because with this new generation of runners led by Pogacar and Vingegaard, cycling is now run differently. It is made of attacks at times that previously seemed unlikely. And the behavior of the supporters is upset by it according to the photographer of L’Équipe: “Without looking for any excuse, the public has different behaviors, the atmosphere is more often of the type of that of the turn of the Dutch in the alpe d’ Boo. That is to say a massive crowd, overexcited at the passing of the runners and very close to the champions.
In the end, the jury of commissioners of the International Cycling Union took the decision to deprive the two motorcycles of a stage of the Tour and to impose a fine of 500 Swiss francs on them. Another press motorcycle was also penalised, having bothered future stage winner Carlos Rodriguez, author of a hand gesture, and Adam Yates a little later.
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