Thomas Voeckler, who captivated the French with his plucky performance in this year's Tour de France, found his two wheels were no match for four legs when he competed against a horse in a race on Wednesday evening.

"/> Thomas Voeckler, who captivated the French with his plucky performance in this year's Tour de France, found his two wheels were no match for four legs when he competed against a horse in a race on Wednesday evening.

" />
SHARE
COPY LINK

S

Tour de France rider competes against horse

Thomas Voeckler, who captivated the French with his plucky performance in this year's Tour de France, found his two wheels were no match for four legs when he competed against a horse in a race on Wednesday evening.

The race took place in the western coastal town of Sables d’Olonne, in the Loire region.

Voeckler was the best performing Frenchman in this year’s Tour de France, finishing fourth and wearing the coveted yellow jersey for ten days. 

He almost didn’t compete at all after his sponsor pulled out. His determined efforts and modest style won him many new fans and reignited interest in the annual race which dates back to 1903.

In the 380-metre race on Wednesday, in which the jockey sat in a two-wheeled cart behind the horse, as is common in French horse racing, he was pitted against a horse called Othello Bourbon ridden by the jockey Eric Raffin. 

8,000 people were there to watch the event and Voeckler got ahead of the horse on the first lap. However, his cycle power was no match for horse power as the thoroughbred moved ahead to win the race.

Races pitting horses against cyclists are common in France, and it is rare for horses to be beaten.

Member comments

Log in here to leave a comment.
Become a Member to leave a comment.

S

Danish U-turn: children with sick relatives should stay home

Children who live with someone ill with coronavirus-like symptoms should not attend kindergarten or school, Denmark's health minister has announced, responding to widespread concern surrounding the reopening of the country's schools.

Danish U-turn: children with sick relatives should stay home
Parents have been worried about the reopening. Photo: Liselotte Sabroe/Ritzau Scanpix
Magnus Heunicke announced the new policy in a press release sent out on Sunday, following widespread criticism of the guidance from the Danish Health Authority (Sundhetsstyrelsen) that having sick relatives at home should not prevent children returning when schools reopen this week. 
 

“Many have been unsure whether the right measures have been taken when schools and daycare services open up again on Wednesday,” Heunicke said in the press release. 
 
“In particular there have been questions over whether children should attend kindergarten or school if someone is infected with Covid-19 at home. This uncertainty is now being taken away by the government.” 
 
READ ALSO: 
 
Municipal governments in Aalborg, Aarhus and Odense, among others, had already responded to public unease about children bringing the infection from home by saying they would defy the health authority and allow the families of children who have sick people at home to keep them home. 
 
 

The Danish government's decision to overrule its own health authority sees the country's policy diverge from that of neighbouring Sweden, where the advice to parents is that children should be sent to school even if someone at home is ill. 
 
Heunicke said that the decision had followed a reappraisal of how likely it is that children will be able to follow hygiene requirements. 
 
“There are a number of strict requirements for cleaning, hygiene and self-insulation when there is a coronavirus infection at home. This can be really difficult for families with smaller children, and we understand that there are many who are unsure about this situation,” he said.  
 
“Therefore, in the government, we have decided, on a precautionary principle, that children living in a household with a person who has coronavirus should not attend school or daycare.” 
 
This decision applies only to children, and not to adult staff who work in schools or kindergartens, as the ministry believes adult staff will be better able to follow sanitary guidelines.  
 
According to a survey by Local Government Denmark, which represents the country's municipalities, over half of Denmark's municipalities plan to reopen schools and kindergartens on Wednesday, with the rest following no later than Monday. 
SHOW COMMENTS