Tacks thrown in the road near the foot of the Jaizkibel climb sparked a number of sudden punctures on stage 2 of the Tour de France, with between 15 and 20 riders forced to stop to change wheels or ride to the finish with a slow puncture or a tack stuck in their tyre.
It is unclear who threw the tacks on the road and why. There were no signs of a protest during the stage, with the cycling-mad Basque fans cheering the riders during the 208km haul from Vitoria to San Sebastian.
Race organiser ASO told Cyclingnews they were aware of the tacks in the road but did not have any further information.
Race radio announced a number of punctures in the final 20km of the stage, with teams scrambling to service their riders in a key moment of the race.
French rider Lilian Calmejane vented his anger about the tacks on the road on social media, where he posted a video counting the five tacks in his front wheel: “Thank you for this kind of human bullshit... I don't think I was the only one to suffer a puncture in the final... You should know that we can fall and get really hurt with your bullshit, you morons!”
The Jayco-ALUla team confirmed that Luke Durbridge was a puncture victim and showed a wheel with two tacks in it. Cofidis also apparently suffered a number of punctures, but Victor Lafay was not affected and went on to win the stage for the French team.
Tom Pidcock said that he had a slow puncture but rode to the finish despite some loss of control. Ineos Grenadiers use tubeless tyres and the sealant that helped slow his puncture was visible in his rear wheel as he warmed down on the rollers.
“I had a slow puncture and could feel it on the descent of the Jaizkibel but I had to ride it in. I could feel it slipping on the corners a little bit,” Pidcock told Cyclingnews and ITV television, in the shadow of the Ineos Grenadiers team bus.
Jayco AlUla head of Performance Matt White confirmed that the tacks had created significant problems in the peloton.
“Someone sprayed some tacks on the road in one of the towns because we saw 15/20 punctures. Some pictured immediately and some rode through with a slow leak. It’s a shame,” he said. “We’re lucky that Simon Yates didn’t puncture, but there were a lot of guys puncturing at an important time in the race.”
