Tour Down Under boss Stuart O’Grady defends safety rules after spectator hurt in race crash
Tour de France winner Geraint Thomas has defended safety standards at Adelaide’s Tour Down Under after a spectator was hospitalised because of a race crash.
The woman remains in hospital, but is expected to make a full recovery, following the crash on Saturday night at the end of the Down Under Classic in Adelaide’s East End.
Four riders overshot the final corner, crashing into the barricades, and one of them went over the fence and into the crowd.
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By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.SA Premier Peter Malinauskas has called it a freak accident.
“Her recovery is going well. We don’t know how long it will take her yet to make a full recovery, but we’re confident it will be one,” Malinauskas said.
“I’m reluctant to overreact to it, given it is such a freak occurrence.”
The six-day Tour starts on Tuesday and at Monday’s pre-race media conference, Thomas said it is one of his most enjoyable events.
“On Saturday, I feel like it was completely safe,” the Ineos Grenadiers star said before his 10th Tour Down Under.
“The roads are always ... you go over to Italy, it’s completely different, some of the roads you race on there.
“This race is one of my favourites and it’s always been the least of my worries, coming here.
“My only issue on Saturday, I thought my heart was going to come out of my chest - such a bloody hard race.”
Race director Stuart O’Grady said it was safer to have the Saturday race going counter-clockwise on the parklands circuit, rather than the other direction.
“The sun comes from the west, which would have been right into the riders’ eyes ... sprinting into the sun blind, basically,” O’Grady said.
“In my opinion, the track was very safe. Unfortunately, accidents happen in bike racing ... but of course, we will look at things as we go along.
“As race director, I feel real personal heartache when riders have accidents and to see a spectator who’s come here for our great event, to get injured, that hurts me more than anybody.
“Safety is my priority. Cycling is a dangerous sport.”
Italian Manilo Moro was the only rider not to finish on Saturday night because of the crash, but the Movistar rider is on the Tour start list.
