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TOUR DE FRANCE

Tearful Contador crashes out of Tour de France

Spanish rider Alberto Contador withdrew from the Tour de France on Monday after suffering a fall during the tenth stage of the gruelling event.

Published: 14 July 2014 16:23 CEST
Tearful Contador crashes out of Tour de France
Spain's Alberto Contador (left) shakes hands with France's Tony Gallopin, wearing the overall leader's yellow jersey, at the start of the tenth stage of the Tour de France on Monday. Photo: AFP

The Spaniard's withdrawal was the second major abandonment of the 101st edition of the Grand Boucle following that of reigning champion Chris Froome last Wednesday.

Contador crashed around the 65km mark of the mountainous 161km stage from Mulhouse to La Planche des Belles Filles.

The 31-year-old received lengthy treatment by the side of the road to patch up his injured right knee before he changed bikes and carried on.

He had lost around four minutes on the peloton by this time, after which his main rival Vincenzo Nibali's Astana team took over pace-setting at the front.

Despite five of his Tinkoff-Saxo teammates dropping back to help pace him back, he started losing more time.

Around 15km later and about halfway through the stage, Contador shared a hug with chief lieutenant, Australian Michael Rogers stopping by the side of the road and climbing into a team car.

He was in floods of tears.

On Wednesday Briton Froome crashed twice before climbing off his bike and quitting the Tour.

He had already injured his wrist the previous day in a crash and an MRI scan on Thursday showed he had fractures to his left wrist and right hand.

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SPORT

Inaugural Women’s Tour de France to start at Eiffel Tower

The route for the inaugural women's Tour de France was unveiled on Thursday with eight stages, embarking from the Eiffel Tower on July 24th next year.

Published: 14 October 2021 16:04 CEST
French cyclist Marion Rousse delivers a speech next to Tour de France director Christian Prudhomme during the presentation of the first edition of the Women's Tour de France cycling race.
French cyclist Marion Rousse delivers a speech next to Tour de France director Christian Prudhomme during the presentation of the first edition of the Women's Tour de France cycling race. Photo: Anne-Christine POUJOULAT / AFP.

The first complete edition of the women’s version of cycling’s iconic race starts on the day the 109th edition of the men’s Tour ends.

After a route that winds through northern France, the race culminates in the Planche des Belles Filles climb in the Vosges mountains.

Danish cyclist Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig said she was over the moon to be taking part.

“I want it to be July now so we can get stared,” she said actually jumping up and down.

“The Tour de France is a reference and when you say you are a cyclist people ask about that. Now I can say I race the Tour de France,” she said after the presentation.

MAP: Details of 2022 Tour de France (and Denmark) revealed

Race director Marion Rousse, a former French cycling champion and now a TV commentator, told AFP it would be a varied course that would maintain suspense over the eight days.

“It is coherent in a sporting sense, and we wanted to start from Paris,” she said of the 1,029km run.

“With only eight stages we couldn’t go down to the Alps or the Pyrenees, the transfers would be too long.

“The stages obviously are shorter for the women than for the men’s races. The men can go 225 kilometres. For the women the longest race on our roster is 175km and we even needed special dispensation for that,” she said. “But it’s a course I love.”

Christian Prudhomme, the president of the Tour de France organisers, was equally enthusiastic.

“The fact it sets off from Paris the day the men’s race ends gives the new race a boost because it sets the media up to follow it more easily.

“It also means that with the Tour de France starting on July 1st and the women’s race ending on the 31st, there will be cycling on television every day of July.”

The men’s race is broadcast in around 190 countries.

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