2023-07-20 13:25:22
This edition of the Tour de France has left moments to remember. However, not all of them are positive, as happened with the traffic on stage 17.
The great leader of the competition, Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma), was with his domestique, the Dutchman Wilco Kelderman, widening his gap in the general classification with Tadej Pogacar (UAE), who had been suffering on the road.
The Jumbo-Visma riders were on the last ascent eight kilometers from the finish line, when something rarely seen happened.
Jonas Vingegaard gave a chair as a climber on stage 17 | Photo: 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved
The cause, a transmission motorcycle and the organization’s car had collided and stopped in the middle of the road. At that point the two Jumbo-Visma cyclists reached the point where there was minimal space to cross and had to slow down and lose a few seconds while avoiding fans and parties involved in the accident.
What Vingegaard and Kelderman did
The cyclists, astonished by the fact, and with the aim of wasting as little time as possible, managed to cross the tide of people and resumed their journey with a few seconds to spare, following the mandatory stop they had.
“It was definitely crazy, there were a lot of people. At one point I had to sit still because of the car, that was unfortunate, but I guess that’s what can happen when you put 20% slopes at the end of the Tour,” Vingegaard said of the fact.
Victory for the day ended up going to Felix Gall (AG2R), with the Dane having to settle for third place.
The sanction imposed by the Tour
As the hours passed, it became known that the protagonists of the accident were Thomas Voeckler, a former sportsman and commentator for France Televisions, and his pilot Joël Chary.
Dane Jonas Vingegaard, with the leader’s yellow jersey. | Photo: 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved
This is not the first time that an event of this type has occurred in the 2023 Tour de France. On stage 14, when Pogacar and Vingegaard were in a fierce battle, the Slovenian from the UAE Team tried to attack, but a motorcycle blocked his way and might not distance himself from his rival for the yellow jersey.
Tadej Pogacar vs. Jonas Vingegaard on stage 14 of the 2023 Tour de France | Photo: Eurosport video capture
In this case, we must add that, in stage 15, a fan, trying to take a photo, knocked down Sepp Kuss (Jumbo-Visma) and caused a fall that also affected the Colombian rider Egan Bernal (Ineos-Grenadiers).
General classification Tour de France 2023
1. Jonas Vingegaard (DEN/Jumbo-Visma), 67:57:51
2. Tadej Pogačar (SLO/UAE Emirates), but 7:35
3. Adam Yates (GBR/UAE Emirates), a 10:45
4. Carlos Rodríguez (ESP/Ineos Grenadiers), at 12:01
5. Simon Yates (GBR/Jayco-AlUla), a 12:19
6. Pello Bilbao (ESP/Bahrain-Victorious), a 12:50
7. Jai Hindley (AUS/Bora-Hansgrohe), a 13:50
8. Felix Gall (AUT/Ag2r-Citroën), a 16:11
9. Sepp Kuss (USA/Jumbo-Visma), at 16:49
10. David Gaudu (FRA/Groupama-FDJ), in 17:57
34. Harold Tejada (COL/Astana), a 02:12:56
36. Egan Bernal (COL/Ineos Grenadiers), a 02:20:21
77. Rigoberto Urán (COL/EF), at 03:35:29
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