Up to this point everything was going well. In Altkirch (Haut-Rhin), young runners Celia Gery (Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Rhône-Alpes) and Amandine Müller (Grand Est) led the French Under-19 Championships. There were 3 minutes left until the end of the race. at the front of the peloton, the two, also cyclocross teammates, were looking to battle it out for the win. Müller then replaced Gehry, oblivious to the surrounding danger. This came from the car of the sporting director of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes team.
While he was driving, sporting director Julien Giborel gave his protégé some advice. That’s when his car swerved slightly and the bumper hit Muller’s rear wheel, who immediately lost his balance due to the impact. Geri closely followed her and was unable to avoid her, and also fell backwards after her opponent hit the ground.
Conscious of his clumsiness, the sports director immediately stopped and walked over to Muller’s bed, while Geri, noticeably less upset, was already mounting his bicycle. Having gone early, Ardéchoise waited for Muller before winning him and winning alone by 3’42”.
Speaking to Le Parisien, sporting director and unsuccessful racer Julien Giborel refused to talk. “I communicate with Amandine, whom I know very well, this is between me and the athletes,” he simply answered. There is no need for an intermediary press. »
Heatedly, in the mixed zone, he nevertheless apologized to the two runners. Even if the accident did not prevent them from finishing, the fall still left some consequences.
“I hope we weren’t hurt”
“After the fall, Celia was able to start again immediately, but I had to change the bike,” Amandine Müller responded after the race on the Direct Vélo website. But it was not my size, and the position was strange. My arm and elbow hurt a little, but everything was fine. Mostly I was in shock. The Grand Esta runner then cried, despite her satisfaction that she had “given everything to hold on.”
Geri, also a junior cyclocross world champion, contained her joy: “I’m happy to win, but I hope we didn’t hurt ourselves,” she whispered coyly upon arrival. While waiting to determine the state of health, the question arises: is it possible to take away the victory from the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes team, which indirectly “benefited” from the accident?
“It’s nobody’s fault”
“Not at all,” we answer from the race organization, which is managed by the French Cycling Federation. “It’s a fact of racing, these things happen,” we continue. In no case is the sports director’s fault. » In a video of the crash filmed by race broadcaster France 3 Alsace, the sporting director’s car appears to nevertheless change trajectory to hit the athlete’s wheel. The dotted line demarcating the two lanes allows you to notice this slight deviation to the left.
The sports director’s gaze is also at this moment focused on his runner, located at his height to the left, and not in front of him. “No one is to blame,” we vow in the organization. In any case, the accident, the consequences of which could have been much more serious, since Gehry won at an average speed of 35 km/h, renews the debate about the safety of athletes in racing and the behavior of cars.
Source: Le Parisien
I have worked in the news industry for over 10 years. I have a keen interest in sports and have written for many different publications. I am currently working as an author at 24 News Recorder. I cover mostly sports news but also write about other topics such as current affairs and politics. I have a strong interest in social media and how it can be used to engage with audiences.
