Fears of chaos on L'Alpe d'Huez as crowds pack Alpine climb for Tour de France showdown
Cyclingnews • • sports
Key Points:
- Social media videos show large, partying crowds packed along the L'Alpe d'Huez climb for stage 19 of the Tour de France, causing concerns about safety and disruptions to official vehicles and police.
- Fans were seen singing, dancing, setting off fireworks, and blocking roads, leading police to enforce walking rules for cyclists and install barriers at key points like the Dutch corner to control crowds.
- Riders, including Baptiste Veistroffer and Remco Evenepoel, expressed excitement but also concern over the narrow roads and potential dangers from the dense, sometimes unruly crowds.
- Police presence has been increased with support from Danish and Dutch authorities, but teams worry about the growing hooligan element and suggest measures like charging fans to access climbs to improve safety.
- The Tour returns to L'Alpe d'Huez for back-to-back mountain stages, with Tadej Pogačar aiming to defend his yellow jersey amid illness in his team, while fans from various countries create festive and intense atmospheres along the climb.
