"We’re going to have to review the number of vehicles in these difficult sections" - Tour de France race director
Cycling
The recent Netflix documentary series on the Tour de France could have been one of the reasons behind the rowdier crowds and frequently chaotic scenes at this year’s race, the race director Thierry Gouvenou has acknowledged.
"This year the Tour has been exciting and there are many, many more spectators than in other years," Gouvenou told the Guardian.
"And it’s a slightly different crowd, one that’s a bit more festive and less respectful, that doesn’t know the etiquette of a good supporter. So it’s true that in some places, we’ve found ourselves in a bit of difficulty."
"I don’t know if it’s the Netflix effect. I know the viewer wants to be with his phone and he wants to put himself in the picture, in the Tour de France. That’s the way it is."
Record also reported Gouvenou to have said: "We have been faced with a new audience, which we didn’t expect. I don’t know whether it’s the Netflix effect or the intensity of the Pogačar-Vingegaard duel, but we’re a little lacking in resources."
Gouvenou however agrees that there might be too many media vehicles for the race's good. "We’re going to have to review the number of vehicles in these difficult sections. Maybe we have too many media around the riders in these passages where we know there are going to be people and steep gradients, but we’re not going to ban the public from coming to the Tour de France."
Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
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