ASO throw car that hit Team Sky's Flecha out of Tour de France + video

A screen grab clearly shows the driver missed the tree by a clear yard and more.... appalling driving pure and simple.

Once it became too late to brake - a situation almost certainly brought about by carelessness by one or more parties - it came down to a classic split-second choice for the driver: do I (a) lose a wing-mirror on the tree, or (b) take a chance with a cyclist's life. If top pro riders at the Tour de France cannot rely the drivers around them choosing option (a), what chance do we ordinary cyclists have? Except, I suppose, that we know we have to control the situation, by taking the lane, and aren't lulled into a false sense of security by having Christian Prudhomme in a big red Skoda behind us.

It was mighty good of Johnny Hoogerland to accept the driver's apology before he had even given it. I wouldn't have been so forgiving.

I watched the race live on ITV, and at the end, they show the driver trying to reverse into a parking space, and it was a woman driver.

Please, no women driver jokes ok

re: the cutting down of trees on French roads well, the French govt seriously suggested it some years back. To be fair there are all sorts of reason why a driver might hit a tree not all of them being the fault of the driver - it's also worth saying that given the choice between hitting a tree and hitting a something else… even a cyclist competing in the Tour de France, most drivers are probably going to chose to hit the something else as was demonstrated yesterday.

A few years back it was I think pretty much national policy in France… and over here? We did the same thing about 50 years ago.

Not that I'm in favour of cutting down trees – it's just that these things are always complicated.

As for Jonny Hoogerland what can you say other than 'Wow' pro bike riders come in for a lot of flak, but when things like this, and Vino's injury, happen the reaction of the riders involved to what's befallen them is so often genuinely humbling.

That photo of his wounds is horrific. How he got back in the saddle after that is incredible. Tough and big-hearted guy.

The ASO need to review which cars / motorbikes are allowed to go near the riders. Obviously team cars, but then their drivers are experienced.

Agree with other comments, press cars should be diverted if they need to get ahead of the race - much safer for the riders.

Only allowed to pass the riders if given okay from director sportive

Like seeing janez brajkovic on the floor, that video produced an unpleasant feeling in the pit of my stomach. Hoogerland was incredibly gracious when ITV's Ned Boulting interviewed him before the presentation.

http://www.itv.com/tourdefrance/2011/news/hoogerland-thankful-to-be-aliv...

He and Flecha are honourable riders and deserve a medal for managing to finish yesterday. The peloton needs more of their kind.

I hope that some changes are made as a result of this. Prudhomme is puffing about safety but the number of vehicles and how they're driven is his responsibility too. I hope they will think more about rider safety. Millar thought that the peloton is faster and "more cuttthroat" now.

I do hope no-one is seriously suggesting the trees should be felled just because an idiot or two drives his car into them.

Many French roads were built, to facilitate the movement of troops, on the orders of Napoleon Bonaparte, who also ordered the planting of trees to provide shade as they marched. They are part of French culture and history, as well as being part of nature.

If a driver ploughs into one from time to time, then they are really just pursuing a Darwinian quest to enhance the gene pool of those of us who remain. If there were no trees, they would plough into telegraph poles instead, or worse still into more careful drivers' cars.

My first thoughts was why are they using such big cars? There was only 2 guys in the car, so why do they need such a massive car?

When I watched a stage last year, I thought the same. The are loads of cars that follow after the riders - journalists etc, in massive autobahn-cruisers. Perhaps ASO should say every needs to drive a, I dunno, a 2CV?

All of the above but the bit that I am even more incredulous about is that he didn't even stop.

He must have known what he'd done.

The driver placed himself in a position where he had no choice but to swerve inwards to avoid a tree. As ASO state he ignored an order which led to this incident. It's amazing no one was killed.

F**k me that is bad!

If that guy doesn't end up in court there is something just a little bit wrong with French justice.

Totally agree with Tony & pjt201 above. Just being thrown off the tour is not even a slap on the wrist for that kind of driving.

ASO should be fining heavily the entity who controls that vehicle. And if they do not have the authority to do that, then they should be taken to court for dangerous driving.

The driver of that car makes white van drivers in Essexlook good!

"However today’s incident, that saw both Juan Antonio Flecha and Johnny Hoogerland knocked from their bike by a media car should not have happened. We are speaking with the race organisers this evening and are confident they will take the appropriate action” – something ASO have clearly done.

I'd argue the action from the ASO isn't strong enough. As someone pointed out on twitter the ASO's rules do not negate criminal liabilities. The driver of that car should be answering to the gendarme, not the ASO.

It was terrible to watch and we can only be thankful that there weren't more serious injuries. There has been more than enough tragedy on the pro tour this year already. Let's hope that all involved recover fully and can get on with what they do best.

Yeah, the more you look at the video clip the more stupid it looks - really what was he thinking? Had this not been in a race he would end up in court for driving like this.

"I can blame everyone but I don’t think anyone does this sort of thing on purpose. I think the people in the car will have a very big guilty feeling and they will surely apologize to me and Flecha"

What a legend.

But its not really good enough is it? Thrown off the race? I would call this gross negligence territory, that driver should be in court.

Its was so bad it made me wonder if this jerk had somekind of money on the race.