Tour de France 2023: Motorcycles get in the way of Pogacar in the attack on Vingegaard – trouble on the 14th stage

There was no space between the motorbike that was too slow and the fans on the side of the road.

“I wanted to attack one last time before the pass. I put everything in, then the bikes didn’t move. I wasted a cartridge there. But it’s the way it is. We’ll try again,” said the Slovenian in the subsequent interview.

Pogacar later won the sprint for second place against Vingegaard and thus secured two bonus seconds more than the Dane, but in the overall standings the gap in the final count increased by one second to ten seconds.

Tour de France: ASO punishes motorcyclists

“That’s to run away,” also criticized Eurosport commentator Karsten Migels during the live broadcast: “Here we are again with things that should perhaps be improved in the coming years – especially with mountain stages like this. It’s not just about the safety of the racers and spectators, but also about a fair sporting process .”

Eurosport expert Bernie Eisel reckons that the camera and photographer motorcycles that caused the incident still have to fear repercussions: “We’ll see them in the regulations today too!”

In addition, everyone has to pay a fine of 500 Swiss francs (511 euros). Vingegaard also has to pay 200 Swiss francs (206 euros) – he had urinated in public during the section.

Vingegaard: “It was a great stage”

Vingegaard, on the other hand, was “happy with how things went. Tadej put up a tough fight, but my team worked very well,” said the Jumbo Visma captain: “It was a great stage.”

Eventual stage winner Carlos Rodriguez (Spain/Ineos Grenadiers) was also crippled by a TV bike on the final climb. He initially pushed it aside and then had to make an unplanned detour.

(with SID)