While the vast majority of the Tour de France peloton is not concerned by the riots that have been hitting the country following the fatal shooting of a teenager by police, some have expressed concerns that the race might be disrupted.
After a start in the Spanish city of Bilbao, the Tour heads to France on Monday with visits to Bayonne, Dax, Pau and Bordeaux during the week.
Rioting across France appeared to be less intense overnight Saturday, but tens of thousands of police have been deployed in cities across the country after the funeral of a teenager of North African descent, whose shooting by police sparked nationwide unrest.
Foreign team members have confessed not knowing much about the situation in France, arguing they are in a 'bubble' on the Tour de France.
Some 33,000 law enforcement officers are deployed throughout the three-week race, but team buses and thousand of euros in material are being guarded by a sole private security officer overnight.
👀POV : You're moving up in the peloton!
— Tour de France™ (@LeTour) July 2, 2023
👀POV : Vous remontez le peloton ! #TDF2023 pic.twitter.com/zDQsmqeIJ4
Tour de France organisers say they are ready to adjust to any situation.
"We are in constant liaison with the State services and we are following the situation and how it has been evolving," tour director Christian Prudhomme told reporters on Friday.
For Rod Ellingworth, the racing director of the Ineos-Grenadiers team, "I don't really have any comment on it, that's one for the authorities who are working very hard."
Riders will 'adapt' to security situation
However amongst French teams – or for French riders at least – the tone is slightly different.
Groupama FDJ sports director Philippe Mauduit has stated, "Obviously we're concerned, we can't be insensitive to what's been happening but there's not much we can do. We wait for information from organisers, from law enforcement and we will do what they tell us to do."
"The organisers did not even mention it at the team meeting [before the start of the race]. It's radio silence from them.
I don't know why. Maybe they don't have a solution themselves or any information. We'll adapt."
Tour de France 2023 : des aménagements supplémentaires prévus dans certaines descentes pour renforcer la sécurité des coureurshttps://t.co/0USvtJHAa1
— franceinfo (@franceinfo) June 30, 2023
Riders have been focused on their race, but they have been following the latest developments.
"The context is different than usual. Every morning I check the news to see what happened overnight," said Intermarché-Wanty Gobert rider Adrien Petit.
Last year the Tour was hit by climate activists – who twice stopped the race – triggering extra security measures on the road this year with two motorbikes from the gendarmerie's intervention brigade riding in front of the peloton to prevent any protest.
UPDATE 15h30UT:
Frenchman Victor Lafay of Cofidis sprung a surprise on Sunday, beating an elite bunch to win stage two of the Tour de France in San Sebastian, Spain.
Wout van Aert was second and Tadej Pogacar third in a desperate sprint for the line.
English rider Adam Yates retained the overall leader's yellow jersey after the 208.9km rolling run through the Basque Country.
