Why were there so many crashes on the Tour de France in Nice?

• Many riders, including French outsider Thibaut Pinot, crashed during the first stage of the Tour de France, in Nice.
• Rain, pollution and the nervousness of the peloton are the cause.

From our special correspondent in Nice,

A dirty first. This Saturday, Valentin Madouas suddenly discovered the magic and madness of the Tour de France. “It was one of my worst days on a bike,” blows Thibaut Pinot's teammate. He fell at the start of a daunting stage, contested in a storm and won by sprinter Alexander Kristoff. Its leader was caught in a massive crash on arrival.

Thibaut Pinot is involved in the massive crash that took place in the heart of the peloton under the 3km banner # TDF2020

▶ Follow the race live on our site: https://t.co/WYc3Wuww1x pic.twitter.com/gyN1w0NUNL

Julian Alaphilippe, Nairo Quintana, Pavel Sivakov, Richie Porte or Pierre Latour also fell, among many others. “There were 100 guys on the ground out of the 176 riders, we couldn't pedal without slipping,” continues Valentin Madouas. Weather conditions, road conditions, nervousness: we explain to you how this first stage became a figure skating gala.

Rain + pollution = disaster

"See, that task on the road?" »Yes, Alain, we see her. And we wouldn't put a Vélib wheel on it. The spot designated by this experienced rescuer from Nice is composed of a mixture of water and pollution. A cocktail hated by cyclists. “We call it summer ice,” explains Pierre-Luc Périchon. “We had hail last year, we had an ice rink today. Anyone could lose everything at any time, ”adds its leader Guillaume Martin.

Cars leave gasoline, oil and rubber on the road. “It was the first rain since June, so the roads were very greasy today,” testifies Antoine, an amateur cyclist who knows the treacherous bends of the Nice hinterland passes well. Today's route was not the easiest in these rainy conditions. “The roads were narrow,” recalls Julian Alaphilippe, victim of a harmless fall.

This is how today's descents looked like: it was basically an ice skating rink. Riders crashed no matter their skills or speed, it was a lottery. The peloton made the right decision to go slow. 👍 (via @ j_hernandez89) # TDF2020pic.twitter.com / zwiGI3jX7T

"The roads around Nice are very busy, it is the first rain after the summer ... We could see the rain foaming, it made a white liquid which slipped", describes Pierre-Luc Périchon, of Cofidis.

The riders very nervous at the start of the Tour

The weather is not the only culprit. “The first stages of the Tour are always dangerous,” recalls Julien Jurdie, sporting director of AG2R La Mondiale. "There is always a lot of nervousness", continues Cédric Vasseur, general manager of the Cofidis team, who "was very afraid of this first stage. "

Tony Martin calls for calm as the "boss" of the peloton. Whether we like this attitude or not, it shows above all that the Jumbo has gained the upper hand over the other teams. # TDF2020 pic.twitter.com/AXHUcUZTLD

Cédric Vasseur also welcomes the decision of the “veterans” of the Tour de France to neutralize the race, without waiting for the organizers to take the decision to stop the race. At 50 kilometers from the finish, Tony Martin (Jumbo-Visma) imposed a time-out for the peloton. The race "resumed" 20 kilometers from Nice, with an attack from Benoît Cosnefroy.

Have runners lost the habit of riding in the rain?

The interruption of the cycling season between March 15 and July 28 deprived the peloton of the spring classics, often contested under the fleet. "They are no longer used to driving on wet roads for two months," said Thomas Voeckler, consultant France Televisions.

“Some runners made mistakes, but that does not explain the majority of falls,” Pierre-Luc Périchon nuance. "It's not at all that", even gets carried away Cyril Gautier, member of the advertising breakaway of the day: "It's my ninth Tour de France, there are always crashes in the first stages. "

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• Julian Alaphilippe
• Weather forecast
• Thibaut Pinot
• Cycling
• Tour de France
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