Regrettably, we will not be able to look back on the 2021 Tour de France without evoking images of the chaos of the first stage (26 June) when a spectator accidentally caused a huge peloton pile-up by clipping German rider Tony Martin with a cardboard sign. There have, of course, been incidents caused by roadside fans on previous occasions, but this caused 2 riders to withdraw from the race, 8 riders to be treated for injuries, and the UCI to call for a lawsuit (which has been dropped since the woman’s arrest).
Riders paused in silent protest on Tuesday 29 June over safety concerns after a series of crashes in the opening stages, including the storm of “signgate”. Monday’s Stage 3 saw a number of slips and collisions; early in the day, 2018 Tour de France winner Geraint Thomas dislocated his shoulder, but with the help of his fellow Ineos Grenadiers riders was able to continue the stage. Primoz Roglic - now retired from the race - lost time after a crash in the last 10 km and, in the final sprint, Caleb Ewan brought down former world champion Peter Sagan.
Despite some controversies, there has been much to celebrate with an emotional and unexpected comeback from Mark Cavendish. The rider from the Isle of Mann had been a last-minute inclusion in the Deceuninck-Quick-Step team after a difficult few years battling with Epstein-Barr virus, a succession of injuries, and a diagnosis of clinical depression in 2018. Cavendish’s breathtaking victory on the Tuesday was the sprinter’s first Tour de France stage win in 5 years. Scenes of a tearful Cav being embraced by his teammates were enough to soften the hardest of hearts.
That wasn’t it for Cavendish as he won a second stage on Thursday and retains the sprinter’s green jersey. Unfortunately, despite leading the race for a week, Mathieu van der Poel chose to retire on Sunday in order to focus on Tokyo 2020, leaving more room for defending champion Tadej Pogacar, who currently wears the leader’s yellow jersey.
After the entertaining start in Brittany, through central France, and a gruelling weekend near the Swiss border, the Tour now moves south towards Nimes, Carcassonne, and the Pyrenees before the sizzling finale in Paris. Who will emerge as the 2021 champion after the final fight at the Champs-Élysées?
If all that excitement isn’t enough to sate your appetite, there’s still plenty to come from the 2021 Tour de France. After the Olympics, road cycling competitions come thick and fast with hospitality tickets already on sale for most the following events:
- La Vuelta: 14 August-5 September 2021
- Tour of Britain: 5-12 September 2021
- UCI World Road Cycling Championships: 19-26 September 2021
- Paris-Roubaix: 3 October 2021
- The Women’s Tour: 4-9 October 2021
- Tour of Lombardy: 9 October 2021
- Strade Bianche Donne: 3 March 2022
- Strade Bianche: 5 March 2022
- Milan-San Remo: 19 March 2022
- Tour of Flanders: 3 April 2022
- Liège-Bastogne-Liège: 24 April 2022