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.
Read also
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
Just in
Subscribe to our Daily Newsletter today!
Popular news
Latest comments
- Funny that they shorten women’s races but have no qualms about letting U23 do the same distances.Jumpyjohn23-03-2025
- Why is that relevant when discussing speed?Mistermaumau23-03-2025
- But he wasn’t the only one ;-)Mistermaumau23-03-2025
- Obviously the questions are more important to some here than to them or the team so I suggest looking for answers instead of asking questions between ourselves. We’ll probably get them unless someone actually goes to ask the protagonists themselves. Here are some starters : They like riding together; they have their own rivalry that helps bring out the best in both; they might get more points helping each other compared to racing separate races. In any case, unless we hear MJ complaining about it, I don’t think it’s going to change, it’s the Sepp Kuss syndrome all over again, fans lobbying against the will of the rider.Mistermaumau23-03-2025
- Mine goes to MVDP for entertaining us all year round :-) Stellar race, Ganna impressive in his own way as many predicted after some oddly lacklustre times.Mistermaumau23-03-2025
- i remember when not too long ago mathieu was regarded as a real tactical knucklehead. i’m not sure that was ever quite accurate, but it’s certainly the case that over the years he has become a real master tactician. in the biggest races, van der poel rarely makes choices that don’t fully optimize every specific advantage he has.OCexile23-03-2025
- Whatever the result, I believe the strategy by UAE to launch Pogacar was absolutely the right one. Unfortunately, they just were not able to execute it the way they must have planned, being all over the place at the start of the Cipressa.Cooldude23-03-2025
- They are without doubt not just the best two classics riders of this generation, but amongst the best of all time. MvdP is more suited to MSR and PR (which Pog has yet to race), while Pog is now almost untouchable at LBL and Lombardia. RVV is the only one where both basically have an equal chance to win.Cooldude23-03-2025
- bravissima!
maria2024202423-03-2025 - According to Tadej's Strava upload, he went up the Cipressa at an average speed of 37.6kph. Rocket ship! He did the 5.63km verified 'Cipressa' Strava segment in 8:59 minutes, which has a 4.3% average grade and total elevation gain of 229m. Naturally, he got the Strava KOM.Pogboom23-03-2025