'Spectators don’t really give the respect to the race' - Ineos respond to team car incident

Ineos Grenadiers sports director Oliver Cookson was fined 5,000 CHF and received a yellow card from race commissaires after the team car he was driving struck a spectator during stage 14 of the Tour de France on the slopes of the Col du Peyresourde.

Velo spoke to Cookson's fellow sports director at Ineos, Zak Dempster, who was also in the same team car when the incident took place, and offered his best wishes to the spectator involved in what was an unintentional accident. 

"We’re careful. We’ll get there when we get there. I’m sure I’ll see the video shortly - all I can say is it was an accident and hopefully the person is ok,” Dempster said to Velo after the finish of the stage to Superbagnères, which was won from a solo breakaway effort by Ineos rider Thymen Arensman.

Dempster also explained the challenging circumstances that led to the collision, with a lack of crowd control being a significant influence on the narrow mountain roads. 

“At that moment, we were trying to come past the group, there were motorbikes coming on the left side, and then obviously a lot of the spectators don’t really give the respect to the race,” Dempster explained. 

The collision occurred approximately 32km from the finish line on the upper slopes of the Col du Peyresourde, with Ineos having two riders, Arensman and Carlos Rodríguez, in the breakaway group.  

“They put the ropes and then people get in front of them,” Dempster explained regarding the flaws with the current measures that are in place to keep both the riders and spectators safe. “What’s the thing [they can do]? They’re going to fence every mountain-top?”

“It’s just another reminder how dangerous these mountains can be,” Dempster concluded.

Following the incident, Ineos Grenadiers released a statement, "Our thoughts and sincere apologies go out to the fan who was accidentally and regretfully hit by one of our race cars while supporting the riders during today's stage."

"Like all teams, we take great care to maintain a safe race environment for everyone - including the passionate fans who make our sport so special," the statement added.

No information regarding the spectator's medical condition has been released at the time of writing, and the incident has only raised further questions and concerns about safety protocols at major events such as the Tour de France, where vehicles operate in close proximity to spectators.