Riders and fans battered by hailstorm at Critérium du Dauphiné
A hailstorm sent riders and fans seeking cover atop the Col du Porte after Thursday's stage 2 of the Critérium du Dauphiné.
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An enormous hailstorm battered the finish line at Thursday’s stage 2 of the Critérium du Dauphiné, pelting riders, fans, and race officials with large hailstones.
The hailstorm followed a day of rainfall atop the Col du Porte, and it rolled in just as the final finishers of the stage were crossing the line, and as organizers were completing the podium ceremony.
VeloNews reporter James Startt said the storm swept up the mountain just as Daniel Oss of Bora-Hansgrohe was climbing the final slopes of the mountain. Oss finished in 95th place, 21:20 down on winner Primož Roglič.
“You could see the rain chasing him to the line, and at that point, it became every man for himself,” Startt said. “I found refuge in a TV van, and the hail was so strong that it was forcing its way in through a small opening in the back doors. When I went outside after it stopped, everything was white, all white.”
Videos and photos from the storm-filled social media in the hours after the stage finished, showing fans and riders cowering from the weather. Tony Martin (Jumbo-Visma) took shelter under a tree alongside fans who carried a Jumbo-Visma inflatable. Other riders descended to their respective team busses in the hail.
Photos from Deceuninck-Quick Step rider Tim Declercq showed his back covered in red welts from the hailstones. Maxime Chevalier of B&B Hotels-Vital Concept showed similar pelts on his back in an image posted on the team’s social account.
“You could see from the faces of guys that it was a pretty harrowing experience,” Startt said. “Dan Martin looked pretty destroyed, and the last finisher, Jerome Cossins, who was in the breakaway all day, looked totally shattered.”
https://twitter.com/BBHotels_VC/status/1293946025879703554
Many Riders – including our boys – were hit by one hell of a hail storm – worst Than anything we expirienced. The scene was total chaos and mayhem. .. riders running for cover, hit hard by icy mini ping pong balls. #CriteriumduDauphine @dauphine pic.twitter.com/Y6XI0PCSRs
— Israel Start-Up Nation / Israel Cycling Academy (@YallaIsraelSUN) August 13, 2020
Within seconds the road looked like a ice rink and riders were desperately trying to stay on their bikes … or to decide to walk up to the finish line on the ice… #criteriumdauphine @dauphine pic.twitter.com/u5UN2SM43F
— Israel Start-Up Nation / Israel Cycling Academy (@YallaIsraelSUN) August 13, 2020
https://twitter.com/CCCProTeam/status/1293944290574585856
Crazy storm hit a big part of the peloton. pic.twitter.com/gw5lSVQH3b
— Trek-Segafredo (@TrekSegafredo) August 13, 2020