Football icon Ronald Koeman didn’t hold back during a
Tuesday appearance at the Tour de France, criticising the lax safety protocols
after Team Visma | Lease a Bike's rest day ride.
Speaking on De Avondetappe, Koeman was disturbed by how
closely casual cyclists mingled with the professionals. “There's so much money
in cycling. People invest in nutrition, fitness, and data. And then some idiot
who rides along as an amateur just bumps into Jonas Vingegaard.”
The Dutch national coach questioned why the race organizers
allow such scenarios to happen at all. “You can't take that risk. They even
want to take some pictures while cycling. I find it truly unbelievable that
this is even allowed.”
While acknowledging the sport’s open nature, Koeman was
concerned about the consequences. “I understand that cyclists should be
accessible to the public, but they're just cycling through the city
wheel-to-wheel with the Visma riders.”
His remarks pointed to a broader contradiction in the sport,
where elite preparation meets a casual approach to safety. “Cycling is so
professional in so many ways, but then you allow this to happen... It can be a
major danger for riders. It's nice that they're so approachable, but a bit of
safety and peace of mind are also important. After all, the riders have to
deliver incredible performances during a Tour de France.”
Fin MajorCycling Journalist
Fin Major is a UK-based writer at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2024. He is the site’s main writer for FAQs and evergreen explainers and has written around 2,000 pieces for the platform. Alongside this work, he focuses on in-depth analysis and covers the biggest races on the calendar, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, providing clear context around performance trends, tactics, and key storylines.
In his reporting, Fin uses reputable data sources such as 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. Outside of writing, Fin is an active cyclist, which supports his practical understanding of the sport and its demands.
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- great analysis thanks! appreciate you posting this. I didn't realize CX had a different standard for deviation. this is even more egregious it seems.mij10-11-2026
- As he isn't currently with Red Bull, I guess if he want to race for one more year he needs to find a team. He's 37 so this will be his last year I would guess, unless he wants to race for almost nothing like Froome did.awp10-11-2026
- I think some are making much ado about nothing. Even though Jonas is getting older, before his crash in the Tour, he looked like a solid 2nd all the way home. No one can really climb with Tadej until this year, Eric Mas showed himself which I think was a one off year for him and Paul Seixas has been able to be pretty close to him. Whatever stage race Jonas enters as long as Tadej is not there he is a favorite to win.awp10-11-2026
- Giro or not Giro, he won't win the Tour!MajorPayne10-11-2026
- Very true.awp10-11-2026
- Ciccone had a very strong end of season. Consistently attacking and livening up races. Hope he makes that last leap in progress and starts notching some significant wins. Great rider to watch.Occam10-11-2026
- Me too!!!!!Occam10-11-2026
- they can sign any 100 of top riders today but Pogi will win over Remco any time at the TDF unless something goes wrongabstractengineer10-11-2026
- the time for a GC rider to retire is when they cannot win stages, or have a significant level drop like from winner/podium into top 5/10 consistently. Roglic is still competitive and Froome raced even though he became pack fodder.abstractengineer10-11-2026
- He should be in a different team. It was detrimental. For them it does not matter if he does not develop. He should have gone to a team where they need him to succeed.abstractengineer10-11-2026
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