Course designer explains controversial stage 3 finale: "There are more crashes with a straight finish than with a curve"

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."