Tour de France - Shock after Drege's death - few serious crashes at the Tour
Elite cyclists of the Tour de France mourn the death of Norwegian cycling pro André Drege. "I am in shock", said superstar Tadej Pogacar. "It is hard to process what has happened. It is very sad to hear", he added. "In the cycling world, we really have to pay attention to each other and look out for each other", said the current leader in the Yellow Jersey.
While the current French Tour has been spared from serious accidents so far, the death of the Norwegian professional during the Austria Rundfahrt shook the cycling world. The 25-year-old died during the descent from the Großglockner. The Norwegian professional team Uno-X mourned the rider. Cycling veteran Alexander Kristoff and teammate of Dreges spoke of "very bad news".
Few crashes at the Tour
The fact that the French Tour has so far been spared from serious crashes is evident from the small number of crashes. Only three riders had to abandon their bikes before the start of the eighth Tour stage due to crashes. Among them was former World Champion Mads Pedersen. Pascal Ackermann tried to explain. The sprinter feels among the experienced cyclists at his Tour debut like a fish out of water. And above all safe. The 30-year-old German sees the great racing experience in the rider field as a reason for the few serious crashes at the 111th edition of the French Tour.
"At the Tour, you can see that the experienced riders don't ride as cleanly as the young ones", said Ackermann finally. On Saturday, the 30-year-old finished fourth in the sprint, narrowly missing his first Tour stage win. The younger riders, according to Ackermann, did not have the bike handling skills of his generation at their age. The opening stage of the Tour after the start in Florence was also very demanding. "The first two stages were tough. And that leads to fewer crashes", said veteran John Degenkolb. The 35-year-old is participating in his tenth Tour.
Change in crash rule
Following this, there were several sprint stages. The hectic final kilometers of these stages often led to serious accidents in the past. To improve the safety of the riders, the Tour organizers changed the crash rule from three to four or five kilometers on certain stages.
For the first time at the 2024 Tour in Turin, this rule was in effect. Through this regulation, the times for the general classification are taken at these kilometer markers. This makes the sprint finishes less hectic, as the general classification riders hold back and the sprinters and their helpers get more space for their rapid race finish.
"What surprised me positively was that the opening of the three-kilometer rule really had an effect", praised Degenkolb. This, according to the veteran, "is certainly also a reason" for the generally uneventful collisions.
Gravel spectacle in Troyes
The theme of the country tour with the disappointing performance so far could suddenly change on Sunday. Then comes the challenging gravel stage around Troyes. The organizers want spectacle, top teams are worried about their riders. In total, there are 14 unpaved sections on a length of 32 kilometers, which have already caused concerns among the sports leaders of the top riders regarding Pogacar before the start of the tour. A small error, an unfortunate fall, and the tour could be early ended for one of the stars in the race for the general classification.
- The Tour de France's current leader, Tadej Pogacar, expressed his condolences after the death of Norwegian cycling pro Andre Drege during the Austria Rundfahrt's descent from the Großglockner.
- The Uno-X Norwegian professional team mourned the rider's death, with Alexander Kristoff and a teammate sharing their grief.
- Few serious crashes have occurred in the French Tour's 111th edition, with only three riders abandoning their bikes before the eighth stage due to accidents.
- Pascal Ackermann, a 30-year-old German sprinter making his Tour debut, attributed the reduced number of severe crashes to the experienced riders' clean riding and cautious behavior.
- John Degenkolb, a 35-year-old veteran participating in his tenth Tour, noted that the Tour's opening stages' demands resulted in fewer crashes.
- Following concerns about hectic sprint finishes leading to serious accidents, Tour organizers changed the crash rule from three to four or five kilometers on certain stages for the 2024 Tour in Turin.
- Cycling veteran Degenkolb praised the new rule, stating that it had a positive impact on race safety and fewer collisions.
- The upcoming gravel stage around Troyes on Sunday could potentially change the race's theme, with concerns over rider safety due to 14 unpaved sections covering a 32-kilometer length.
