by Terin Copening

Created on: July 23, 2009

Your senses are alert and your heart is pounding as your favorite cyclists go speeding past just inches away from where you sit. You can feel the air brush by your face and hear the unmistakable sound of the bicycle gears as they shift up and down. The last thing you'd expect as you watch these bikers speed away is for them to be the last thing you ever see.

Unfortunately, that happened this year to a 61 year old woman who was attempting to cross the road after the cyclists passed. A motorcyle who was part of the caravan following the bikers skidded into onlookers. This tragic accident caused the death of this poor woman and injuries of two other people. They subsequently were treated at the hospital; one with a broken leg and the other with severe neck pain.

What many people don't know about the Tour de France is that they don't just need to watch out for the bikers (who can go up to speeds of 80 kilometers) but they also need to look out for the support crew behind the bikers. Some are policemen who are there to make sure that no one gets out of control and that the bikers are okay. Other cars are news media who are there to make sure that they catch every piece of action that happens on the tour. Still others are a part of the promotional crew who throw out free bike shirts, hats, food, and other "goodies" to the watching crowd.

This isn't the only tragedy that has occured as a result of the motorcade throwing free gifts following the bikers. Who can forget the poor seven year old boy that was struck by a car in 2002? Or two years prior to that when a child of twelve years suffered the same fate. As a result, the number of vehicles allowed to follow the bikers has been reduced.

However, the largest accident on record for the Tour de France was in 1964 when a police supply van who was in the motorcade lost control and hit a bridge. The resulting catastrophe caused the death of 20 people.

So if you decide to go and enjoy the thrill that comes with watching the bikers of the Tour de France, be alert and be aware. This is one of the few events where there is little to no supervision or protection for the spectating crowd and if you're not careful, you may find yourself in harm's way.

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