Aurélien Canot, Media365, published on Saturday June 29, 2024 at 1:46 p.m.
The first unfortunate person in this Tour de France, the big start of which was given on Saturday from Florence (Italy), is Jan Hirt. The Czech, 8th in the last Giro, fell before this first stage began due to the lack of vigilance of a spectator and his… backpack.
Jan Hirt, 67th four years ago during his first participation, almost didn’t even start his second Tour de France. The experienced 33-year-old Czech rider was in fact the victim of a fall before Christian Prudhomme even gave the grand start of this 2024 Tour de France which set off on Saturday at noon from Italy and the city of Florence. The boss of the Tour never stopped reminding the public present in the start and finish areas as well as on the roadsides throughout the race how important it is for the health of the riders to be vigilant. The message clearly didn’t reach the ears of the spectator at the origin of the fall of Remco Evenepoel’s teammate in the colours of the Soudal-Quick Step team while the latter was riding calmly on the path leading from the podium of the signatures to the bus of the Belgian team. The 8th in the last Giro d’Italia (Editor’s note: He did even better in 2022, failing to reach the Top 5) got caught on the backpack of the spectator in question and ended up on the ground.
Hirt started but…
Result: three broken teeth for the Czech, to the great regret of his manager Patrick Lefevere, who still seemed not to have lost his temper when revealing on his Twitter account the mishap his rider had just suffered. “There are a hundred rules (to respect) for the team but someone with a backpack made Jan Hirt fall between the signature podium and the bus,” railed the emblematic Belgian leader, who must nevertheless have been relieved seeing bib 72 nevertheless present itself on the starting line a little later. Also hoping for the Czech, present at the back of the peloton since the start of this 1st stage and who should be one of the main lieutenants of the “Little Cannibal” that he will not suffer too much and will not have to throw away the sponge because of this very stupid fall. The first of this 2024 Tour.
