Riders have to be able to ride every kind of road, says Prudhomme
Tour director shows little sympathy for Froome




After the finish of a Dantesque 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:fifth stage of the 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Tour de France, which tackled seven rain-soaked cobbled sectors used in Paris-Roubaix, 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Tour de France Race Director Christian Prudhomme defended his organization's decision to include the stage in this y💯ear's race.
"The cobbles are part of the heritage of the north (of France) and are part of the heritage of the Tour de France. A Tour de France winner has to be able to ride on every kind of road," Prudhomme told Cyclingnews before the unveiling of a new monument in memory of the former🎃 world champion Jean Stablinski, who discovered the Trouée Arenberg sector of co🐟bbles that is used in Paris-Roubaix. The sector is considered too dangerous for the Tour de France.
"The cobbles🐼 are an integral part of the Tour de France. If we were crazy, we would've gone through the Arenberg forest," P⛎rudhomme said, preferring to speak in French to avoid being misunderstood in English.
"This morning (t๊echnical race directors) Thierry Gouvenou and Jean-François Pesscheux - even though he has retired - decided to take away two sectors. The Mon🐠s-en-Pévèle sector because it was the hardest and due to the conditions, it wasn't appropriate to pass there. Also the sector Marc Madiot d'Orchies because there was undergrowth. There were leaves on the ground which made it slippery."
"There were many crashes o⛎n the asphalt, but not so many on the co꧅bbles. The métier of a cyclist is exceptional but difficult. What they have done today contributes to their legend, being admired by people around the world."
"We didn't ask for rain. We'd love to have rain in Paris-Roubaix because we didn't have it there since 1994 and 2001. We always have the sun there while we p🥀referred to have the sun here today. I confirm that the cobbles are part of the integral Tour de France. I congratulate Thierry Gouvenou. We would do it again."
No sympathy for Froome
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Prudhomme didn't feel the stage route was the r🉐eason why Chris ꦗFroome, last year's Tour de France winner, crashed out of the race, offering little sympathy for the Team Sky rider.
"When bad luck strikes, you never know when it's going to happen," Prudhomme told Cyclingnews.
"Chris Froome crashed yesterday and obviously today he ꦑcould no longer control his bike. He crashed twice. Forewarned is forearmed. When the riders know, they do their reconnaissance, they pay attention. Quite often crashes occur on wide roads, straight roads where they pay less attention."