Few sports are as nakedly dangerous as cycling. Not only do riders race each other around hairpin turns on steep mountain sides, they are also exposed to spectators who stand just a few feet away from them along the route, free to interfere however they please.
The Vuelta a España had crashes, suspected arson, and a spectator attack in less than 24 hours
Being a professional cyclist is terrifying, and Stage 12 of the Vuelta a España showed why.
Most of the time, races pass without incident. But sometimes things get scary. On Thursday during Stage 12 of the Vuelta a Espana, one of cycling three grand tours along with the Tour de France and Giro d’Italia, we saw just how scary the close proximity between fans and cyclists can be.
First, a spectator fell in front of a service motorbike that had been following Spanish rider Alberto Contador:
Another angle showed what appeared to be someone in a police uniform pushing the man. No reports have confirmed that it was a police officer, however.
The condition of the spectator is also unknown.
Then later in the race, as Russian rider Maxim Belkov was nearing the peak of the stage’s final climb, another spectator stormed onto the road and shoved Belkov into a barrier:
Belkov appeared to be unscathed, going on to finish 94th on the stage, but he was upset afterward:
These incidents come just hours after the team bus for Aqua Blue Sport was destroyed in a suspected arson:
Cycling is often as defined by chaos as much as by the athletes and the results of racing. In hindsight, we look back fondly on things like Lance Armstrong being forced to ride through a field and Chris Froome running up Mont Ventoux.
What occurred on Stage 12 of the Vuelta isn’t fun, however, and should perhaps make cycling’s governing body think a little harder about how important it really feels it is to let fans come within arm’s reach of its riders.
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