Professional cycling is a funny old sport, where the star of the show on a stage of one of the biggest races in the world might not be a rider, or a team, but a hotel – and at that, a humble one-star establishment that, following stage 3 of the Vuelta a España, has been inundated with five-star reviews.
In a dramatic turn of events towards the end of Monday’s stage, a huge hailstorm battered the race and led to race leader Tadej Pogačar leading a peloton off the race route and down towards the only building in sight, the IGESA Village Club in Les Sorbiers in the French Pyrenees.
After hugging the sides of the building to escape the icy pelting from the skies, the doors were soon opened, and the riders were invited in, where they were able to shelter properly and get warm. The hotel has since gone viral in its own way, with a number of riders and teams showing their gratitude amid a wave of new five-star reviews for the establishment on Google.
“Incredibly kind and helpful staff!” wrote the US pro Will Barta, while the Picnic-PostNL team added: Warm and welcoming reception area with friendly staff and a nice place to be able to shelter from any inclement weather in the area."
There were plenty more reviews in the names of riders that looked to be spoofs, but there have been hundreds of five-star reviews in the past 24 hours.
Cyclingnews put in a phone call to reception on Tuesday morning, and the general manager Guillaume Villeneuve was on hand to talk us through one of the most unusual days he has seen at the IGESA Village Club.
"Myself and the staff were on the side of the road ready to cheer on the riders," he explained. “In actual fact we all got back at the same time – us and the riders.
"We opened the doors for them all to come in and shelter. There was no hesitation, it was an easy decision to make. It’s normal, it’s our job. It’s normal and logical that we welcome everyone in, so that they can be safe from the storm."
A special atmosphere inside
The images that have emerged from inside the hotel are striking. Riders, in one shot, can be seen lining the staircase as they wait for the storm to pass and for their team buses to collect them following the news of the stage’s cancellation.
Villeneuve’s team quickly sprang into action, handing out towels to the riders before going round with trays of hot drinks and fruit to eat.
"I think we had around 300 people who came in from the race, and then in the hotel yesterday I had 100 clients, so it was very, very full," he said.
"The riders stood wherever they could - at the bar, in the lounges, even on the stairs. We went round with some things for them to get dry and get warm, and some food and drinks as well."
What stood out, he said, was the way that some of the world’s top athletes conducted themselves in and among the general public.
"The atmosphere was great. At first, the riders seemed a bit lost, a bit panicked. But it soon became more relaxed, and in the end the atmosphere was very, very nice, very convivial.
"What struck me most of all was the way they interacted with our clients, especially the children who were in the hotel for their holidays. They were taking selfies, signing autographs, and speaking with the kids. The riders were so sweet.
"The riders were very polite, very grateful, and very clean - they tidied everything away. They greeted us, they shook our hands as they left, and we’ve had a lot of messages on Instagram thanking us for the welcome and the service.
"And of course we have had some good reviews on Google," Villeneuve added with a chuckle.
“It was a surprise, that’s for sure, and you have to take a step back to realise what’s happening, but we were really pleased to see those reviews."
The hotel was also visited by representatives from the race organisation who extended their gratitude, and Villeneuve says that he’s expecting another visit from them tomorrow. He doesn't know what to expect but is not interested in any sort of financial contribution from the race.
"No, not at all. We did it with our heart and with a lot of pleasure," he said.
"We are very happy and very proud to have been of service. It’s a special emotion. We have been useful – useful to people and useful to the race.”
And so it was that, amid the cut and thrust of an elite sporting environment, the humility and humanity of a humble hotel won the day.
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