"Being on the podium was a little bit sad, just seeing photographers and a few people," said Tadej Pogačar after stage three of this year's Tour de France. The subdued finish at Les Angles, the race having just crossed from Spain into France, proved that even for the sport's biggest champions, racing just isn't the same without the fans. As a precautionary response to nearby wildfires, French authorities had banned spectators from attending; while many risked prosecution to line the roadside, the Tour's usual thronging crowds were nowhere to be seen.
It was a bitter blow for Les Angles. The Pyrenean outpost had spent months preparing to host the finish, with hoardings, posters and infrastructure all in place. Local cafes and restaurants were stocked to the brim for their busiest day ever - only for the spectacle to fizzle out. The empty town recalled the lonely races of the Covid lockdowns, illustrating in stark relief the vital role of crowds. As Pogačar implied, take away the noise, colour and sheer human energy of cycling's roadside devotees, and the sport simply isn't the same.
