Course designer explains controversial stage 3 finale: "There are more crashes with a straight finish than with a curve"
Cycling
The course of stage 3 of the 2023 Tour de France came in for some criticism from some quarters due to a final bend just a hundred or so metres from the line. Now, the course designer has explained why the route was designed as such.
"We have to admit that the finish was indeed not straight, that is obvious. The people of Bayonne had first made 2 other proposals, both of which I refused because it would be too dangerous. In the end, we landed on their 3rd proposal," explained Thierry Gouvenou to Sporza. "It's true that the finish wasn't ideal, but I think there are more crashes with a straight finish than with a curve. We shouldn't reason too strictly. Straight finishes are no guarantee for no crashes."
In fact, Gouvenou was happy that the sprint was actually a safe one despite the controversy surrounding Jasper Philipsen, Wout van Aert and the narrowing of the barriers. "They didn't crash at all yesterday, which is quite rare for a first bunch sprint in the Tour," he comments. "In this case it was just not possible to finish on a straight. You also have to take into account that we need different technical zones and space for the public at the finish. So you need enough space. People don't think that so fast."
"We could also have ridden to a city further on, where it might have been safer," he concludes. "But the riders might not have taken that after 2 tough stages in the Basque Country."
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Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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- Careful investment? I think he can live very comfortably with zero investments, what does he need more? The world would do well if more people set a target for how much they need or would make them “happy” and then stop worrying about perpetually having to make more.Jumpyjohn15-11-2026
- Yes, Roglic could theoretically have beaten Sepp. Jonas must have had complete confidence that he could come back and win the Vuelta another year. Visma had not allowed Roglic to ride the Tour that year, so his future did not look so bright, despite his narrow Giro win..Hills3315-11-2026
- So far, a good series about riders before my time, even if the text feels AI generated like so much on this site. About the rider, he seems like one of many who are active fan favorites but don’t survive in the stories of cycling, a few decades later - I didn’t really know anything about him and this was a good read, thank you!RidesHills15-11-2026
- A calm, honest documentary, a bit of hagiography but mostly not too much. When he talks about a coffee shop, it aligns with several things in his world - he might want calm, but he does (more than a little bit) have someone near him (his fiancee) who makes sure that things happen the way he expects. Many atheletes have retired only to find out just how much others were taking care of their lives for them. If they work out (I'm old, things happen), I am sure it will take a renegotiation, which is a good thing. I truly enjoyed watching it, seeing him, seeing her, seeing the whole system built around him.RidesHills15-11-2026
- You do? My mother grew up around Bleiburg (Pliberk), across the border in Austria . My grandparents lived close to the train station in Bleiburg, and I spent a lot of the 70s and 80s there. The "Jugo" train of my youth went to Dravograd or Maribor, exotic places (behind the wall) at the time. What a moment that was, the 10 days war of '91 - times sure have changed.RidesHills15-11-2026
- I hope he rides a bitmij15-11-2026
- Greatest athlete this world has ever produced ! LOL ... you definitely are a comdian ! Cycling is so sprecialized and you think he's the greatest athlete ever ! Still laughing !frieders315-11-2026
- b.s. headline. Jonas wasn't told anything, it is just a pundit telling him what to do. the actual article is not even close to the insinuation of the headline.mij15-11-2026
- I think Roglic could have beaten Sepp. not Jonas. I was referring to Sepp.mij15-11-2026
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Ideal post to end with! 😴 Time to work on that sleep performance again, as there is another sprint chance coming up. Good night! #WinningOnWhoop
Strong lead out, perfect sprint. ✅ After waking up with an 85% Sleep Performance, @JasperPhilipsen took stage 3 of the #TDF2023 with an all out performance. Over the last three days, Jasper has seen Strain Scores from 19.6 to 20.6. 🤯 Congratulations to Jasper and team
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