Never say that ASO chef and Tour de France boss Christian Prudhomme isn’t proactive. As he said the other day, horrified, two crashes is two too many. Bravo.
While critics, bike racers, team managers and fans all jumped into a hot debate about what could be done, the answer isn’t so simple. Narrow roads, super fast athletes, wind and rain and road furniture, the tremendous pressures and the possibility of a career defining stage win — all force riders to take chances.
You can’t widen the roads, you can’t stop the wind and rain, you can’t ask the fastest bike racers in the world to slow down, you can’t ask the world to stop make Le Tour de France any less exciting or challenging.
And that is where Mr. Prudhomme and his equipe are already a few bold strokes from solving the problem once and for all. He showcased the innovation and daring solution at the Village du Depart before today’s stage ten.
Tiny yellow bikes.
Yes, there is one thing that can be made smaller — not the rider, not the road, but le velo! This micro race bikes could be the future of the Tour de France. A way to slow down the dangerous speeds, make more room in those tight spots and add humor to the red hot drama of Le Tour.
Act of genius?
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