Bronze medallist obstructed by spectator leaning over barriers; Robbie McEwen calls for more safety
The season-long battle between Sweden’s Emma Johansson and the Netherlands’ Marianne Vos arose once again at the end of the women’s World Championship road race. Vos launched her sprint first, then Johansson tried to come past by the barriers; she found her way blocked though, not by the Dutchwoman, but the barriers themselves moving inwards and, more worryingly, by a spectator leaning over the barriers to take a picture.
“I was feeling very strong,” said Johansson after the race, “I had the feeling that Marianne changed her line but after Madeleine [the Swedish coach] has now watched the movie, she says she’s keeping her line but the barriers were moving more or less, that they were coming in towards me.
“So I bumped my head into one in the public, who I hope is ok.”
While the Swedish rider is calm about the incident, almost implying that she herself was at fault, it reopens the debate about how close the public is allowed to get to riders; particularly in the finishing straight, when they are travelling at speeds over 70kph.
Australian sprinter Robbie McEwen has been the victim of similar incidents in the past when he was deliberately hit with cardboard hands in sprints at the Tour de France; for him the issue is clear.
“saw replay of womens road race finish,” he posted to his Twitter page. “once again a rider hit by amateur photographer over barriers. there should be buffer zone”
The sponsor hands at the Tour are now made of foam rubber, rather than cardboard, but there have still been incidents. In the 2006 race Norwegian Thor Hushovd was hit by a spectator’s camera, while wearing the yellow jersey, as he was sprinting for the stage win; he was taken to hospital with a deep gash to his arm.
McEwen is particularly sensitive to finish line safety right now as he was brought down by a media representative after he crossed the line on stage 6 of this year’s Tour.