The Tour de France is the most important cycling competition in the world, but it also attracts a large number of riders and fans, who ride on small and winding roads. This, undoubtedly, is a great risk for the participants who, when falling, take with them other competitors passing nearby.
Something like this happened this Thursday, when a massive crash involving 40 cyclists fell during the fifth stage of the women’s competition.
How did the accident happen?
Images were shared on social networks of the crash when a small group was marching together on a straight road, with no people around and in the next shot, there is chaos on the pavement with around 40 cyclists down.
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Unfortunately, Danish rider Emma Norsgaard had to abandon the race with an injury to her left shoulder, the most serious injury of the incident.
According to the French portal L’Equipe none of the cyclists involved could determine the cause of the accident:
“We see this kind of thing in big races like Paris-Roubaix or the Tour of Flanders. It’s paradoxical because today’s crash came when it was a pretty good time. It was the first time we were riding a bit quietly since we left Paris. Maybe it’s due to the fact that the level is a bit heterogeneous. We’re not all used to these World Tour races (1st division), everyone has their own way of riding,” explained rider Marie Le Net.
The winner of stage 5 of the Tour de France
Dutch rider Lorena Wiebes won the final sprint in Saint-Dié-des-Vosges, taking her second victory after winning the first stage in Paris on Sunday. While Italian world champion Elisa Balsamo (2nd) and Dutch rider Marianne Vos (3rd) retained the yellow jersey, with a 20-second lead over Italy’s Silvia Persico.
This season, Wiebes has already accumulated 17 victories and in her still short career – she is 23 years old – she has already won 53 times: “The goal is to get the green jersey”, she explained.
The sixth stage will be held this Friday. It will be a 129-kilometer route with a finish in Rosheim, before the weekend that will take in the mountains of eastern France.
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