‘Not the Tour de France’: women’s race director’s safety remarks spark anger

A race director in France has provoked anger among cycling fans and media after accusing professional female riders and teams of having safety expectations “not in line with their level”.

The third and final stage of the Tour Féminin International des Pyrénées was cancelled on Sunday morning following a vote, conducted by the women’s arm of the Cyclistes Professionnels Associés (CPA), in which 17 of 23 competing teams said the race was too dangerous to continue.

The first two stages were marred by numerous near-misses as the peloton raced on roads that were open to other traffic. Video from the first stage, between Argelés-Gazost and Lourdes in south-west France, showed vehicles including a coach travelling in the opposite direction to the speeding peloton on narrow roads. Cars nearly pulled out into the path of the riders, with motorbikes, pedestrians and other road users also coming dangerously close to the competitors.

The first 25km of Saturday’s second stage was neutralised as a result after discussions between the Cyclistes Professionnels Associés (CPA), the UCI and the riders and teams. But the safety measures were not enough to save the race. “To maintain the safety of the riders, the UCI has taken the decision to stop #TourPyrenees,” the sport’s governing body, the UCI, said on Sunday morning. “After consulting with key stakeholders of the event, including @women_cpa, @cpacycling @HansenAdam, teams, commissaires, and the organising committee, today’s stage will not go ahead.”

The race director, Pascal Baudron, sparked anger among the cycling community by seeming to suggest – before the decision to abandon the race – that the riders and teams did not have the right to expect a completely safe race.

“The girls