Van Aert saw his life flash before his eyes in the descent after the finish: 'It's life-threatening, yes, really'

Wout van Aert had a semi-rest day on Friday in the thirteenth stage of the Tour de France, but the Belgian rider from Jumbo-Visma didn't escape the stress when he reached the team bus. It was located down at the foot of the Grand Colombier, a mountain that all the riders had to descend after the finish. "I'm glad I'm still alive," Van Aert states afterward to NOS.

"When there are thousands of people on that mountain, and you have to ride your bike downhill, it's not always safe. It's life-threatening, yes, really," says Van Aert, clearly aware that this is a topic he doesn't want to dwell on for too long. "Not that it's important now, but something should be done about it at some point

When asked about exactly what the riders have to deal with during such a descent when the cameras are off, Van Aert responds, "All those people also want to go downhill, and they don't always pay attention to the riders coming down. Luckily, I still had a whistle with me, and at one point, a police officer came to guide us down. From there, it was somewhat safer."

Dylan van Baarle, Van Aert's teammate, also complained about the unsafe descent to the media present after the race. "It wasn't pleasant. It's July 14th, and people had been drinking. As a result, they didn't really consider the fact that we have to return to the buses. People were looking the other way, and cyclists were going up and down. People were walking on the road, and they couldn't see everything clearly anymore. It wasn't a very relaxed affair."

Van Aert doesn't have an immediate solution at hand

An immediate solution to the issue is not readily available. Safety is a hot topic in cycling, but so far, it has primarily focused on the race itself. "If the climb is lined with barriers, it's safer to ride uphill and downhill, but that would be difficult. I don't feel like thinking about it right now," Van Aert concludes with a broad smile.

The all-rounder from Jumbo-Visma finished 131st in the thirteenth stage, crossing the finish line 24 minutes and 38 seconds behind the winner, Michal Kwiatkowski. His team leader, Jonas Vingegaard, lost eight seconds to Tadej Pogacar but maintained the overall lead in the general classification. This weekend in the Alps, we will undoubtedly see Van Aert once again at the front to defend that yellow jersey.