ALPE D’HUEZ HOT SPOT
Security blanket for riders at Tour de France
Thouault said security arrangements had been agreed between Tour organisers and the ministry of the interior, with the Tour paying around €4m of the security budget
Over 30,000 security agents will be deployed to protect riders during the Tour de France, organisers said on Wednesday after the head of world cycling called for a safe environment for British rider Chris Froome. The world’s biggest cycling race starts on Saturday, just days after four-time champion Froome was cleared of doping suspicions by the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), headed by David Lappartient. In a post on his Twitter account, Lappartient said the UCI’s decision should be respected, as should "all riders, including Chris Froome". "I have heard calls, sometimes completely irrational, to violence on the Tour de France. "I cannot accept that and I call on all spectators to protect all the athletes and to respect the judicial decision so that Chris Froome can compete in a safe and serene environment like all other athletes." Tour de France security chief Pierre-Yves Thouault said he shared Lappartient’s concerns but was ready to unleash a huge security operation to poli...
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