"If you really want to throw chips at a rider... I prefer Lays" - Thomas De Gendt's hilarious response to Tour de France controversy
Cycling
In some very questionable scenes on stage 14 of the 2024 Tour de France, a drunken man at the roadside threw crisps and waved his bag in the faces of both Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard as the Grand Tour stars ascended the Pla d'Adet.
Although thankfully, there was nothing more than a shake of the head from both Pogacar and Vingegaard, with both managing to avoid the 'fan' and managing to stay upright on the bike despite the awkwardness of having to avoid the crisp thrower, the drunken hooligan was subsequently picked up by French police and spent the night in jail.
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Former two time Tour de France stage winner Thomas De Gendt isn't at the Grand Tour this year, but the 37-year-old Belgian was watching the drama unfold on the TV and couldn't resist a typically hilarious quip at the whole debacle. "You are not a real fan if you throw chips to riders. But if you really want to throw chips and/or sint bernardus to a rider, I am probably riding up and down Col de Rates tomorrow between 12 and 13," he writes on his official X (Twitter) account. "I prefer Lays and abt12(blue) but would accept abt8 and Doritos."
Understandably, not all have had such a jovial reaction to the incident however. The CPA (riders' union) chief Adam Hansen was not impressed at all by the behaviour of the crisp thrower. "The CPA will take legal action against this guy with pleasure due to what he did to both Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard. This is disrespectful and will not be tolerated," he wrote late on Saturday night, with an update posted on Sunday morning. "We have information that the Gendarmerie have already found and arrested the man who did this act and spent the last night in jail. We thank the Gendarmerie for their fast great work, and this is a sign not to do this to the cyclist. Please be responsible and respect the riders."
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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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You are not a real fan if you throw chips to riders. But if you really want to throw chips and/or sint bernardus to a rider, i am probably riding up and down coll de rates tomorrow between 12 and 13. I prefer lays and abt12(blue) but would accept abt8 and dorito’s.
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