"I can only hope that the fans behave themselves" - Visma's Plugge fears Alpe d'Huez chaos
CyclingFriday, 24 July 2026 at 11:00
Spectacle is always assured at Alpe d'Huez, but there are real fears that at the Tour de France, the situation may escalate towards unprecedented levels. Richard Plugge, CEO of Team Visma | Lease a Bike, has voiced out his concerns that the roaring crowds and alcohol might disrupt the race.
Plugge points out apparent dangers at the Tour
“If there is one major threat to the Tour, it is two things: firstly, the roads and the course. It is simply becoming increasingly dangerous," Plugge said in words to Het Laatste Nieuws.
"That is also the reason why our team leader, Jonas Vingegaard, crashed a few days ago. That was just a very dangerous spot that was poorly signposted.”
But from someone within the race and in the team cars, he points out another serious, potentially more dangerous situation for everyone else.
“And secondly, the crowd. People just jump in front of you. Yesterday, quite a few people jumped in front of our car. They have no idea what it means when you are driving. If they do that to a rider, it is life-threatening.”
Over the years a few incidents have become quite infamous for the wrong reasons, and this is a realistic fear for Alpe d'Huez. Arguably the Tour's most famous climb, this year the final two mountain stages end on it, which might bring bigger crowds than ever before.
This Friday, the riders will tackle the Alpine mountain in its totality, with 13 kilometers in length and likely not a single meter without a fan on the side of the road. Already for a week fans have been camping out on the Alpe; whilst in the past few days traffic jams in the region have been massive due the inflow of thousands to the road. The road cuts implemented this Thursday have made the situation even more complicated for those looking to watch the race unfold live.
Are you kidding me Alpe d’Huez? It is almost 1am 😭😭 #TDF2026 pic.twitter.com/NoSvqfpTGm
— Lukáš Ronald Lukács (@lucxsronald) July 23, 2026
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Visma are no longer working for Jonas Vingegaard, but will instead chase a stage win from a breakaway. Plugge hopes the action is not interrupted by the dense crowds, as has happened for example on Mont Ventoux in 2016 or Col de la Loze in 2023.
“We really want to shine here with one of our riders. It is one of the most beautiful and iconic mountains of the Tour de France. I can only hope that the fans behave themselves a bit along the side of the road. Because it is becoming more and more of a problem.”
Alcohol above all is the main fear, which can then take some spectators to act outside of what is logical and put the riders in danger. "There are also quite a few people standing here now who think it’s Carnival, who are chugging beer all day and at some point don’t know what they’re doing anymore. That is really going to become a problem".
Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
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- you're obviously too young to remember cycling's recent past. cycling is the very definition of a cess pool of drug cheating. it draws fans the way a car accident slows traffic. we're all just waiting for the next shoe to drop and it will drop.whkman24-07-2026
- amazes me that masks can help with a lack of microdosing. technology is truly amazingwhkman24-07-2026
- in looking at all the comments I think is being completely taken out off context.mij24-07-2026
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Front24224-07-2026 - UAE have always been like that. When Juan Ayuso was a naive 19-year-old racing the Vuelta, he said after the time trial that he couldn't understand why he felt so sick; turns out he had Covid. But UAE got permission for him to continue, claiming a low viral load. That was risking a lifetime of problems for one result, and Ayuso struggled with health problems after that.Hills3324-07-2026
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