Fears of chaos of L'Alpe d'Huez as crowds pack Alpine climb for Tour de France showdown - Cyclingnews

What the report says

Cyclingnews reported rising concern over crowd control on L’Alpe d’Huez ahead of stage 19 of the Tour de France, after social media footage showed large numbers of spectators already gathered on the Alpine climb. Videos cited by the outlet, including from Le Dauphiné Libéré, showed fans singing and dancing on the road on Thursday night, with fireworks and police sirens audible near the ski resort area.

According to the report, official and team vehicles had to make their way up the mountain on Friday morning while thousands of cyclists were also on the climb. French police later required cyclists to walk, a common measure on major Tour ascents, and the road had reportedly been closed earlier, with heavy traffic in the valley. Cyclingnews said barriers and roped-off areas appeared in some sections, including around the well-known Dutch corner, while Danish and Dutch police were expected to assist French authorities.

The stage marks the Tour’s return to L’Alpe d’Huez for the first time since 2022, with back-to-back stages linked to the resort. Friday’s route uses the climb’s famous 21 hairpins, while Saturday’s stage starts in Bourg d’Oisans and returns via the Col du Galibier, Col de Sarenne and the back road. Tadej Pogačar is due to defend the yellow jersey, while Cyclingnews noted illness in his UAE Team Emirates-XRG squad as a possible factor for rivals.

Riders and team officials voiced unease about safety, recalling past incidents involving spectators on crowded climbs. Baptiste Veistroffer, making his first race ascent of L’Alpe d’Huez, told L’Equipe he expected an extraordinary atmosphere, while Remco Evenepoel told Sporza the narrow crowds could affect racing.