UPDATE 2 | INEOS, Lidl-Trek and EF Education reportedly leave Etoile de Besseges after car controversy
Cycling
The Etoile de Bessèges is a race that has in the past not received the highest reputation over the safety towards the riders, and this may be on the verge of causing a massive problem for itself. On stage 2 a car was on route and although a major accident was avoided, it caused a fall. At the start of stage 3, the exact same situation unfolded.
Stage 2 saw a shocking incident in which a car got on the race route and caused the peloton to slow down suddenly - the swerving caused a fall involving Maxim van Gils, who was forced to abandon the race. It is a very rare yet shocking incident which has already in itself earned lots of criticism to the race organizers.
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However the race continued, but the peloton has stopped stage 3 after the exact same incident happened in a roundabout on the first kilometers of the race. At current time, 13:01CET, DirectVelo reports that "Three representatives from the riders' unions are discussing with the race management. Two of them do not wish to continue". The stage may be cancelled and the race's continuation is also being put into question.
UPDADE
"The climb and descent of the Col des Brousses will be neutralized, this should apply to all laps. But the race organizers have managed to convince the riders to continue the stage, which should resume at kilometer 17 in the village of Gammal".
UPDATE 2
According to journalist Daniel Benson, at the time being three teams have had their riders return to the team busses: INEOS Grenadiers; Lidl-Trek and EF Education-EasyPost. This may indicate the teams are pulling out of the race, and may serve as leverage for further action from other teams or riders.
Soudal - Quick-Step, Lotto, Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale and Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe are also reported to be leaving the race.
Race stopped #EDB2025 pic.twitter.com/yO87Yn4vKP
— Eemeli (@LosBrolin) February 7, 2025
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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.
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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)...
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- He is boring
leedorney08-11-2026 - To Twoje przemyślenia te bla, bla :)
Dariusz08-11-2026 - Uwielbiam patrzeć, jak wyjeżdża na czoło peletonu i zaczyna się rzeź...Dariusz08-11-2026
- Yeah, unreal.
parisbound0008-11-2026 - there needs to be space in life for pointless comments!Ketterechts08-11-2026
- That is a very lazy way of putting it but so far on this website it seems like everyone is happy to look at everything lazily, even things that annoy them intensely. All they want to do is state their feeling and position but ask most to analyse a problem or come up with solutions or improvements and you’re stunned by silence. Nobody even really knows how this all happens. It’s very simple and quick to just say the UCI did it but I bet you they didn’t, I bet you not more than 2 people were involved, more likely just 1. The UCI may be ultimately responsible but it is not their decision, this is about hierarchy, power and delegation. The fact that protest is possible also means it isn’t over and that MORE people could get involved for a thorough review which could throw up anything. It is highly likely it was a sole commissar who decided and has that power in a first round. Therein might lie the problem the UCI has to consider, is it acceptable to give so much authority to one single person when it is quite possible for them to have a natural bias or be too easily susceptible to imposed bias. Who is to say an individual in this position isn’t susceptible to collaboration with outside players with interests in the results, nations, families, teams, betting companies, etc. On the one hand we have sports where these problems have been worked on way more to reduce such problems, on the other hand we have sports with far stricter and more draconian rules not even concerning safety or obstruction that nobody really questions like false starts or stepping out of lane or zones in athletics. If cycling hastowork on itself, it would be good if protagonists (all kinds) would start doing a little more than just moaning over outcomes.Jumpyjohn08-11-2026
- Yes, so why not make comments less pointless?Jumpyjohn08-11-2026
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Rafionain-Glas08-11-2026 - There really was nothing in it. Schreiber was so much faster, and Brand was fighting to stay in the wheel in the sprint. Schreiber did move a bit, but to say she closed the door doesn't make sense because Brand couldn't enter it anyway, abd she wasn't impeded.Rafionain-Glas08-11-2026
- He should have been allowed to go to Movistar. Right now both arent a good fit for each other and are just wasting each other's time and effortabstractengineer08-11-2026
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