Sam Bennett out of Bessèges as teams quit mid-stage over cars on course | Video

This was just one example of traffic on the course; the driver in this car turning into the path of the oncoming bunch, before reversing, though a knock-on crash was caused

Sam Bennett's Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale is among several teams to quit the opening French stage race of the year, Etoile de Bessèges (2.1), during today's third stage.

There were already serious concerns before the start today about vehicles on the course on the opening two days of action, including one turning into the path of the bunch and causing a knock-on crash that forced Maxim Van Gils (Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe) out of the race yesterday.

In the opening 20km of today's stage 3 - some 136km starting and finishing in Bessèges - a driver in a vehicle appeared on a roundabout bring negotiated by the riders.

The race was soon halted, in a rider protest, and several teams decided to withdraw their riders from the race because of those safety issues.

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The following teams are all out of the race: Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale, Ineos Grenadiers, Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe, Unibet Tietema Rockets, Soudal QuickStep, Lidl-Trek, EF Education-EasyPost and Uno-X Mobility.

More to come.

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