"It made my blood boil" #TDF2024 Tejay Van Garderen and @brentbookwalter react to the fan's treatment of Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard.
"Nowadays, these fans are so disrespectful and it makes my blood boil" - Tejay Van Garderen vents fury after latest crowd trouble incident at Tour de France
CyclingSunday, 14 July 2024 at 14:49
Despite all the brilliant racing on stage 14 of the 2024 Tour de France, the main talking point post stage was again one 'fan' taking things too far and getting too close to the riders. On the Pla d'Adet, one drunken idiot attempted to disrupt both Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard, throwing crisps in the riders' faces.
Former White Jersey winner at the Tour de France, Tejay Van Garderen was watching the drama unfold and afterwards, via his role as an analyst for NBC Sports Cycling, the American lashed out at the stupidity of the actions of the 'supporter' in question.
"That pissed me off so much," begins Van Garderen, who, as mentioned, was the Best Young Rider at the 2012 Tour de France, finishing 5th overall in the process as Bradley Wiggins took the Maillot Jaune. "99 percent of the fans are great but I feel like, with these guys, it's getting worse."
"Every now and then you'd have guys that try to run alongside you and you would have to dodge fans and if they impede your line you'd have to shove them out of your way but that was basically the worst it got whilst we were racing," the 35-year-old recalls. "Nowadays, these fans are so disrespectful and it makes my blood boil. The best riders in the world, giving their best effort and all you're doing is just clowning around and trying to get on camera. It's not about you fans. We're glad you're out to support them and you should be out to support them."
In an update to the whole debacle, it was announced on Sunday morning by the riders' union, CPA chief, Adam Hansen that the French police had found the man in question and given him a night in a local jail for his troubles. "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," Hansen wrote on his social media.
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