There were unusual and worrying scenes during today's stage 1 of CIC-Tour Féminin International des Pyrénées in France. Though the race is a UCI 2.1-ramked event, with many of the biggest teams and best riders in the world taking part, at times the safety left a lot to be desired.
But, by a miracle perhaps befitting the finish town of Lourdes, none of the incidents captured in these videos caused any crashes. There were drivers about to turn out from side roads into the oncoming bunch but caught sight of the riders and stopped - with the entry points onto the course not blocked and no marshals visible.
There were also many other incidents when traffic was on the road, with the drivers pulling in as they saw the race coming towards them, even in the final couple of kilometres.
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In the final 2km, for example, they met oncoming cars and even coaches on their left, with other civilian traffic in their right, having to weave through them like a club group on a weekend spin.
Those incidents - including the front group catching and overtaking a member of the public driving their car at the 1km to go marker (see videos above and at the end of this story).
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❌ Vehículos con tráfico abierto mientras @yuraniblanco del @LABORALkTeam va escapada
🚗 Coches ocupando gran parte de la calzada al paso por el pelotón en la 1ª etapa Tour des Pyrénées#EsenciaCiclista #TourPyrenees #CICTourFéminin pic.twitter.com/UUNrvhZpEw— Esencia Ciclista (@EsenciaCiclista) June 9, 2023
Danish champion Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig (FDJ-SUEZ) is at the front of the group in the finale and can be seen shaking her head in disbelief as she passes the civilian traffic in what would usually be a section of the course where safety is at its best, with the finish just up the road. Uttrup-Ludwig had attacked a little earlier but that move was frustrated by the safety situation, which demanded the same caution riders must practice while training on open roads.
In the second clip below, the riders race through a built up area on a very narrow road - which looks like a town centre one-way system - only find a pedestrian walking on the road ahead of them, having been forced off the pavement when it was blocked by a nearby shop's signage.
The 129km stage from Argelés-Gazost to Lourdes was eventually won by Ashleigh Moolman (AG Insurance-Soudal Quick-Step) from Anna Henderson (Team Jumbo-Visma) and Loes Adegeest (FDJ-SUEZ) after a sprint from a 24-rider front group more than two minutes up on the peloton.
