ASO takes additional precautions to control Alpe d’Huez crowds

Alpe d’Huez was closed to motorised traffic on Thursday afternoon after cars, camper vans and spectators overwhelmed the mountain. Fans continued to arrive on foot and by bicycle, while the traditional parties on the mountain carried on throughout the night.

The scenes have raised concerns among riders and team officials ahead of the 13.7 kilometre climb, which averages just over eight per cent and features the famous 21 hairpin bends.

Tour route director Thierry Gouvenou said ASO had introduced several measures to ensure the peloton could pass safely.

“We have installed the necessary barriers and we are also working with ropes,” Gouvenou told Eurosport. “There will be many police officers present to monitor the behaviour of the fans.”

The opening kilometre has been secured with barriers and ropes, while additional ropes have been placed around the Dutch Corner. Barriers will also protect the final kilometres towards the summit.

Gouvenou nevertheless stressed that the organisation remains dependent on spectators behaving responsibly.

“They have the privilege of getting close to the riders, but they have to respect them and give them enough space to race,” he said.

Several leading riders have expressed a mixture of excitement and anxiety. Remco Evenepoel, who is racing on Alpe d’Huez for the first time, said the narrow passage through the crowds could affect the sporting contest.

“I’m looking forward to discovering it, but it can also be frightening when you see how narrow it sometimes gets,” Evenepoel said. “Sometimes the fans can influence a stage. You might want to react to an attack, but you cannot move forward because you are blocked.”

Yellow jersey Tadej Pogačar is also expecting unprecedented scenes. “It’s going to be fantastic,” he said. “I hope nothing goes wrong.”

Paul Seixas echoed those concerns. “It’s going to be incredible, but most of all, I hope I don’t crash on the climb because I think there will be a lot of spectators,” the Frenchman said.

Visma | Lease a Bike chief executive Richard Plugge has called crowd behaviour one of cycling’s most serious safety problems.

“People suddenly jump in front of you,” Plugge said. “They have no idea what it means when you are driving. When they do that to a rider, it is life threatening.”

“I am holding my breath. We have had several climbs in the last two or three years where I thought: is this going to end well?”