Team Sky principal Sir Dave Brailsford believes there is no need to distance fans from riders at cycle races despite Thursday’s pile-up on stage six of the Giro d’Italia apparently being caused by a spectator.
Around 15 riders crashed when a fan’s camera appeared to clip Daniele Colli’s arm and caused the Italian to fall into the path of his fellow competitors.
Colli suffered a compound fracture of his left upper arm, but the highest-profile victim of the incident was Alberto Contador, who dislocated his left shoulder and will decide on Friday morning whether he is fit enough to remain at the race.
All of Brailsford’s Team Sky riders avoided the crash and although he sympathises with those involved, he told Sky Sports News HQ that the incident does not warrant fans being moved away from race routes.
“One of the great things about this sport is that the fans get such a close proximity [to the riders],” he said. “It’s one of the sports where the fans are closest to the actual competitors.
“On the great mountain stages you see the waves of fans opening as the riders ride up and it would be a real shame to lose that.
“It is inevitable, given the number of people who come out and watch the sport that every now and then there is going to be an incident, but I don’t think it’s too bad.
“The noise and the excitement it produces and the environment that it creates is so good that it would be a shame to change that, and to be honest, we don’t see that many accidents, so I would be comfortable leaving it as it is.”
Team Sky leader Richie Porte is third in the general classification after six stages, 20 seconds behind Contador and 18 seconds adrift of second-placed Fabio Aru.
Brailsford is happy with the Australian’s progress so far and admitted the race is going to plan.
He added: “I’m happy. We decided to take a very controlled approach to the start of this race. It’s a very long race. We are well positioned and Richie is in great form. I think we are in the perfect position just now.
“We didn’t really want the [leader’s] jersey just yet. We don’t want to take the responsibility of having to lead the race just yet, so our game plan is looking at the long term and playing the long game and biding our time for the right moment.”
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