Soudal Fast-Step rider Jan Hirt has suffered damaged entrance tooth in an incident with followers forward of the primary stage of the Tour de France.
The 33-year-old collided with a spectator’s bag as he went to signal on earlier than the race in Florence, in response to his crew supervisor Patrick Lefevere. Hirt was cleared to start out the stage and will likely be monitored by his crew’s medical employees all through the day.
Lefevere first revealed the incident on X, writing: “There [are] 100 guidelines for the crew however one with backpack made crashing Jan Hirt between the signings and the bus. 3 tooth damaged.”
A Soudal Fast-Step supply confirmed the damage to Biking Weekly, and mentioned the race begin was “badly organised”. The crew has not launched an official assertion.
At first of the day, steel limitations have been constructed across the crew paddock, which was initially managed by safety at its entrance. Followers in Florence have been rapidly in a position to circumvent the measures, nonetheless, lifting the steel limitations or leaping over them to achieve entry to the crew buses.
On the blended zone, an space devoted to press interviews, journalists struggled to achieve the riders, as spectators walked by way of the restricted space. Some members of the media reported the crowds, however have been informed by safety that there was nothing that may very well be accomplished.
Biking Weekly was current within the crew paddock, and seen crowds as much as 4 folks deep surrounding sure buses, notably Visma-Lease a Bike, the crew of defending champion Jonas Vingegaard, and world champion Mathieu van der Poel’s Alpecin-Deceuninck.
A video revealed on the Cyclingnews Instagram web page confirmed one other Soudal Fast-Step rider colliding with an individual whereas making an attempt to cycle between the bus and the sign-on podium.
Hirt has come to the Tour de France to help his Soudal Fast-Step chief Remco Evenepoel, who’s concentrating on the yellow jersey on his race debut.
The Czech rider was given management duties himself on the Giro d’Italia earlier this yr, the place he completed eighth, 18 minutes and 5 seconds behind the winner, Tadej Pogačar (UAE Workforce Emirates).
The Tour de France began right this moment with a hilly stage between Florence and Rimini.
Hirt lined up for the stage as deliberate, regardless of having damaged tooth. He was pictured using behind the peloton within the opening hour.
