The Tour de France has a big problem that keeps getting worse and worse

A damaging stage

A damaging stage, Another ordeal for the peloton, Injuries are getting more serious, "Everyone wants to be in front", A matter of stakes, Riders under pressure, Sprint finishes bring peak tension, Philipsen hits the ground, Other contributing factors, Disc brakes under scrutiny, Race routes under fire, "Everyone’s own interests are blocking progress", The UCI’s yellow card, What’s the solution?

Four crashes, two within the final three kilometres, and an injury to Jasper Philipsen... the third stage of the Tour de France was damaging.

Another ordeal for the peloton

A damaging stage, Another ordeal for the peloton, Injuries are getting more serious, "Everyone wants to be in front", A matter of stakes, Riders under pressure, Sprint finishes bring peak tension, Philipsen hits the ground, Other contributing factors, Disc brakes under scrutiny, Race routes under fire, "Everyone’s own interests are blocking progress", The UCI’s yellow card, What’s the solution?

What should have been a calm day on a completely flat stage turned into yet another ordeal for the peloton, as rider safety once again came under serious scrutiny.

Injuries are getting more serious

A damaging stage, Another ordeal for the peloton, Injuries are getting more serious, "Everyone wants to be in front", A matter of stakes, Riders under pressure, Sprint finishes bring peak tension, Philipsen hits the ground, Other contributing factors, Disc brakes under scrutiny, Race routes under fire, "Everyone’s own interests are blocking progress", The UCI’s yellow card, What’s the solution?

Since 2020, the figures have kept climbing, and the injuries are becoming more severe. Over the past ten years, collarbone fractures have made up almost a third of all injuries (648 out of 1,993), a clear sign of the heavy falls riders are frequently exposed to, as reported by FranceInfo.

"Everyone wants to be in front"

A damaging stage, Another ordeal for the peloton, Injuries are getting more serious, "Everyone wants to be in front", A matter of stakes, Riders under pressure, Sprint finishes bring peak tension, Philipsen hits the ground, Other contributing factors, Disc brakes under scrutiny, Race routes under fire, "Everyone’s own interests are blocking progress", The UCI’s yellow card, What’s the solution?

So, what’s behind this surge in crashes and injuries? According to Dutch rider Mathieu van der Poel, the main problem lies with the riders themselves: "The most dangerous part of cycling is the riders. We take the risks and that’s the main issue. Everyone wants to be at the front in the same place and that just isn’t possible," he said in a press conference before Paris-Roubaix.

A matter of stakes

A damaging stage, Another ordeal for the peloton, Injuries are getting more serious, "Everyone wants to be in front", A matter of stakes, Riders under pressure, Sprint finishes bring peak tension, Philipsen hits the ground, Other contributing factors, Disc brakes under scrutiny, Race routes under fire, "Everyone’s own interests are blocking progress", The UCI’s yellow card, What’s the solution?

Thomas Voeckler agrees. The France team selector explained: "In the past, riders wouldn’t take risks in preparation races. Now, every race is important; the stakes are higher."

Riders under pressure

A damaging stage, Another ordeal for the peloton, Injuries are getting more serious, "Everyone wants to be in front", A matter of stakes, Riders under pressure, Sprint finishes bring peak tension, Philipsen hits the ground, Other contributing factors, Disc brakes under scrutiny, Race routes under fire, "Everyone’s own interests are blocking progress", The UCI’s yellow card, What’s the solution?

The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) reports that 58% of crashes happen within the final 40 kilometres of races. This is further proof that pressure and tension are among the leading causes of these accidents.

Sprint finishes bring peak tension

A damaging stage, Another ordeal for the peloton, Injuries are getting more serious, "Everyone wants to be in front", A matter of stakes, Riders under pressure, Sprint finishes bring peak tension, Philipsen hits the ground, Other contributing factors, Disc brakes under scrutiny, Race routes under fire, "Everyone’s own interests are blocking progress", The UCI’s yellow card, What’s the solution?

The highest levels of tension are inevitably found during the Tour de France, particularly in the sprint finishes. The Tour is the biggest event of the year for riders and their teams, and they will take every possible risk to gain a few places in a sprint.

Philipsen hits the ground

A damaging stage, Another ordeal for the peloton, Injuries are getting more serious, "Everyone wants to be in front", A matter of stakes, Riders under pressure, Sprint finishes bring peak tension, Philipsen hits the ground, Other contributing factors, Disc brakes under scrutiny, Race routes under fire, "Everyone’s own interests are blocking progress", The UCI’s yellow card, What’s the solution?

The third stage is a clear example. Four crashes on a flat stage, three of which occurred in sprint conditions, show that riders are taking risks at the expense of their own safety. Jasper Philipsen paid the price when he was unbalanced by Coquard after a shift in the sprint line during an intermediate sprint.

Other contributing factors

A damaging stage, Another ordeal for the peloton, Injuries are getting more serious, "Everyone wants to be in front", A matter of stakes, Riders under pressure, Sprint finishes bring peak tension, Philipsen hits the ground, Other contributing factors, Disc brakes under scrutiny, Race routes under fire, "Everyone’s own interests are blocking progress", The UCI’s yellow card, What’s the solution?

However, riders are far from the only ones to blame. Another major factor is the evolution of cycling equipment. Modern gear boosts performance, but sometimes, this comes at the cost of safety.

Disc brakes under scrutiny

A damaging stage, Another ordeal for the peloton, Injuries are getting more serious, "Everyone wants to be in front", A matter of stakes, Riders under pressure, Sprint finishes bring peak tension, Philipsen hits the ground, Other contributing factors, Disc brakes under scrutiny, Race routes under fire, "Everyone’s own interests are blocking progress", The UCI’s yellow card, What’s the solution?

One innovation that continues to stir debate is the disc brake. These brakes enable riders to delay braking and achieve higher speeds, but they also provide more sudden and aggressive stopping power than traditional rim brakes.

Race routes under fire

A damaging stage, Another ordeal for the peloton, Injuries are getting more serious, "Everyone wants to be in front", A matter of stakes, Riders under pressure, Sprint finishes bring peak tension, Philipsen hits the ground, Other contributing factors, Disc brakes under scrutiny, Race routes under fire, "Everyone’s own interests are blocking progress", The UCI’s yellow card, What’s the solution?

The safety of race routes and circuits is another major talking point. Whether on the Tour de France or other races, organisers often do everything they can to place the finish line in strategic – but dangerous – locations.

"Everyone’s own interests are blocking progress"

A damaging stage, Another ordeal for the peloton, Injuries are getting more serious, "Everyone wants to be in front", A matter of stakes, Riders under pressure, Sprint finishes bring peak tension, Philipsen hits the ground, Other contributing factors, Disc brakes under scrutiny, Race routes under fire, "Everyone’s own interests are blocking progress", The UCI’s yellow card, What’s the solution?

Marc Madiot, director of the Groupama-FDJ team, told FranceInfo: "Everyone’s own interests are stopping progress on this issue. Team directors don’t want to get rid of earpieces, race organisers insist on certain finish locations, bike brands want to use disc brakes..."

The UCI’s yellow card

A damaging stage, Another ordeal for the peloton, Injuries are getting more serious, "Everyone wants to be in front", A matter of stakes, Riders under pressure, Sprint finishes bring peak tension, Philipsen hits the ground, Other contributing factors, Disc brakes under scrutiny, Race routes under fire, "Everyone’s own interests are blocking progress", The UCI’s yellow card, What’s the solution?

To try to prevent further crashes, the UCI has introduced a new measure: the yellow card. After stage three, Bryan Coquard and Edward Teuns were shown this "sanction" for "irregular sprinting". A second yellow card could result in their exclusion from the race and a seven-day suspension.

What’s the solution?

A damaging stage, Another ordeal for the peloton, Injuries are getting more serious, "Everyone wants to be in front", A matter of stakes, Riders under pressure, Sprint finishes bring peak tension, Philipsen hits the ground, Other contributing factors, Disc brakes under scrutiny, Race routes under fire, "Everyone’s own interests are blocking progress", The UCI’s yellow card, What’s the solution?

Even so, these measures seem too limited. To properly ensure rider safety, the Tour de France would need to control the crowds along the roadside – all 3,338.8 km of it this year. But restricting fan access would also take away part of the Tour's magic.

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