Etoile de Besseges owner: "If the riders do not let the gendarmes' motorcycles pass during a race, the gendarmes cannot secure the race"

Organizing and managing a cycling race is a daunting task, and when this is with events of a lower category with tighter budgets and voluntary personnel, it can become hellish. That seems to be what happened with the Etoile de Bessèges, where the race owner stands up for it's team amidst a very controversial few days.

On both stages 2 and 3 there were moving vehicles on the road. On the second occasion, the race was neutralized, and in the aftermath several teams left the race with immediate effect. "If next year, we are not there, that's how it is. The riders must understand that it is not easy for us, the organizers. Apart from ASO, it is difficult to privatize the roads," race owner Claudine Fangille told MidiLibre.

This work relies on the police that is, during the whole day, overtaking the peloton, closing roads ahead, and then repeating that cycle over and over. Fangille argues the police had difficulty going through the peloton, which led to a lack in front to close all roads. "We cannot. This morning, at the sports directors' meeting, they told us that the riders were not listening. And if the riders do not let the gendarmes' motorcycles pass during a race, the gendarmes cannot secure the race. Otherwise, we end up with this, with what happened".

It is a chaotic situation in which there are losses on both sides, but it seems unanimous that the race's reputation has taken a big hit. But the event isn't profitable either, and Fangille's words do not assure the race's future:

"I told them this morning, they must take responsibility. This is the 55th edition, we cannot take any more responsibility. We, with the Étoile, do not win anything. We are there to make the riders race. If we are not there next year, personally, it does not matter, I will have one less worry".

"We have to tell ourselves that at some point, we do everything we can in terms of security," she states. "We have the same group of police officers as last year, they are not novices. The police stopped yesterday's car twice, it restarts. What do we do? Apart from putting someone on each road?" Even with the race still ongoing, albeit skinned of many of it's stars, it may see the queen stage cut due to risks of strong snow in the region".