'Unacceptable' - Chaotic scenes as several teams pull out of Etoile de Besseges due to second car on course again
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Updated 07/02/2025 at 16:51 GMT
Stage 3 of Etoile de Besseges was in jeopardy of being abandoned after several teams pulled out due to a car entering the course for the second time in as many days. Soudal Quick-Step and Lidl-Trek were among those to withdraw their riders, after Maxim Van Gils was hospitalised in a similar incident towards the end of Stage 2. The race was ultimately restarted with a depleted peloton.
Chaos as car forced to REVERSE away from peloton, causing crash
Video credit: TNT Sports
Several cycling teams have pulled out of the Etoile de Besseges after a car entered the course for the second time in two days.
Soudal Quick-Step, EF Education-EasyPost and Lidl-Trek all withdrew their riders after the latest incident on Stage 3 on Friday, but the race nevertheless continued.
The peloton spotted the vehicle on an upcoming roundabout around 30 minutes into the race and halted to discuss the issue with race management.
This comes a day after Maxim Van Gils (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) was hospitalised after a crash was caused due to an oncoming car forcing riders to swerve.
Following the unsavoury scenes on Stage 2, general manager of Lidl-Trek Luca Guercilena said that the ordeal "must not go unnoticed".
"If today at the Etoile de Besseges some riders had died, we would be here mourning," Guercilena told Tuttobici, via CyclingNews.
"But even if there had been just one injury due to the serious negligence of a professional organisation that cannot and must not go unnoticed.
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Etoile de Besseges descends into chaos after dangerous incidents mar first three stages
Video credit: TNT Sports
"The top management of our sport asks teams for million-dollar insurance, and then we find ourselves facing races where roads are not closed.
"Not to mention that if someone gets hurt, the team always pays, just hoping no one dies..."
And with that in mind, some teams were uncompromising when a second car was noticed at the start of Stage 3.
"Our team is one of the several that have decided to retire from today’s Etoile de Besseges stage due to several incidents over motor vehicles being allowed onto the race course," read Soudal Quick-Step's post on social media.
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"We find this unacceptable and decided not to rejoin the stage as we prioritise the safety of our rides and staff."
Stage 3 from Besseges-Besseges was restarted after discussions were held, with the agreement that the race would be neutralised for the ascent and descent of the Cols des Brousses.
The opening stage also saw the peloton take evasive action after a number of parked lorries blocked part of the road with 11km remaining.
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