LARUNS | After climbing the Col de Marie-Blanque, the riders of the 110the The Tour de France may have a memorial to the late Gino Mader falling at full speed down the descent to the finish in Laruns.
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Due to the change to the top of the pass, the future winner of the fifth stage on Wednesday still has 18 kilometers to go before he crosses the finish line. The members of Mader’s team will certainly be a little more nervous.
Photo by Jean Francois Racine
Despite the risks and dangers, it’s a safe bet that the survivors who will fight for victory will take all the risks to pull off their coup, as the stakes are enormous for any pro in the peloton.
security debate
The death of Gino Mader (Bahrain Victorious) during a descent at the recent Tour de Suisse has reignited debate over rider safety. At almost 100 km/h, the Swiss fell at the foot of a cliff.
Gino Mader file photo, AFP
An independent organization has just been set up, but there will also be a need to monitor cyclist behavior around 11 a.m. (Quebec time).
“Cycling is too dangerous. “You know you can die in the race,” Canadian Michael Woods confided to the Journal, shocked by Mader’s death just before the Tour de France.
For his part, Hugo Houle had said he had no doubt that the peloton would still roll at breakneck speed despite the high level of danger.
Hugo Houle before the start of stage five in Pau. Photo by Jean Francois Racine
However, cyclists remain very vulnerable. Around fifty runners have lost their lives in this race since the 1960s. For fans over 40, the image of Fabio Casartelli curled up in a pool of blood at the 1995 Tour de France is still chilling.
Swell in good position
The crossing of the Pyrenees very rarely takes place so early in the Tour de France scenario.
On the 162.7 km that separate Pau from Laruns today, the peloton will have to face an out-of-category climb, the climb of the Col du Soudet, the Col d’Ichère and the Marie-Blanque.
At around 9am, at the foot of the Col du Soudet, a group of 33 pursuers were less than a minute behind the three leaders. Hugo Houle, winner of last year’s Foix, is in a good position in the main group behind the breakaway of Wout van Aert, Mads Petersen and Victor Campenaerts.