Patrick Lefevere furious with "unacceptable" Tour de France crash caused by "stupid" barrier-jumping fan that saw Soudal Quick-Step pro break three teeth before race had even begun

Soudal Quick-Step team boss Patrick Lefevere has been typically outspoken about the incident which saw Jan Hirt crash and break three teeth before the Tour de France had even rolled out of Florence for stage one yesterday, the Belgian today saying the "unacceptable" situation was caused by a "stupid" barrier-jumping fan who brought the Czech climber down as he rode back to the team bus after signing on.

In a now-deleted social media post published shortly before the Tour got underway in Florence, which featured a painful-looking image of Hirt with three broken teeth, a busted nose and lip, Lefevere claimed that a backpack-wearing spectator caused the collision, which took place after the 33-year-old signed on for stage one of cycling’s biggest race.

Speaking to Belgian newspaper Het Nieuwsblad at Sunday's start in Cesenatico, Lefevere revealed more details, explaining that Hirt had been unable to eat on the bike and had been treated at a private dental surgery after the stage.

"What happened is unacceptable. We have so many rules and we have to pay for everything. And then the collision happens with that stupid spectator and his backpack," Lefevere said.

"Yesterday he couldn't eat during the ride, not even gels. He survived the entire ride on water bottles. I arranged for him to have surgery yesterday in a private clinic. Fortunately, in the evening he was back at the hotel with three repaired teeth."

According to other reports in Belgium, as Hirt made his way back to his team bus area following the sign-on – an often chaotic, tight environment filled with vehicles, riders, team staff, and spectators – the fan, who also reportedly “jumped a barrier”, according to Soudal Quick-Step staff, came into contact with the Czech rider.

Hirt then got tangled in the spectator’s rucksack, prompting him to fall over his handlebars, landing face-first on the road.

There 100 rules for the team but one with backpack made crashing jan Hirt between the signings and the bus. 😡😡😡.
3 teeth broken pic.twitter.com/gth0T4AqDH

— Patrick Lefevere (@PatLefevere) June 29, 2024

“There [are] 100 rules for the team but one [person] with a backpack made crashing Jan Hirt between the signings and the bus. Three teeth broken,” the normally outspoken Lefevere tweeted just as the peloton rode out of Florence in the neutralised zone before the start of stage one.

“I am amazed this doesn’t happen more,” former cycling journalist and Jayco AlUla press officer Sadhbh O’Shea posted in response to the unfortunate collision.

“So many people by the buses and many of them not really paying attention to what’s going on around them. It doesn’t help that often the bus parking is squeezed into narrow spaces. Hopefully Jan Hirt will be ok, minus the broken teeth.”

Hirt, a Giro d’Italia stage winner in 2022 who is expected to play a pivotal role as part of Remco Evenepoel’s climbing support as the Belgian aims to win his debut Tour, was seen struggling at the start of yesterday’s stage at the back of the peloton.

> Selfie-taking spectator causes huge crash at Tour de France

The first crash of the Tour – which took place before the race even started – will add to the fears of many riders when it comes to the proximity of unsuspecting fans, especially after a number of spectator-related incidents at last year’s race.

During Sunday's second stage, an EF Education-EasyPost rider was hit by a spectator holding a phone to film the race passing. The spectator was seen looking for the mobile device after it was knocked from her hand by the impact with the rider, thankfully nobody falling as a result.

On stage 15 of the 2023 Tour to Saint-Gervais, a mass crash was caused by a spectator leaning into the road to take a photo, taking out key Visma climber Sepp Kuss.

The resulting pile-up also saw Kuss’s teammate Nathan Van Hooydonck affected, while 2019 Tour winner Egan Bernal and Eritrean sensation Biniam Girmay also crashed.

The spectator-caused crash brought to mind the infamous incident from the opening stage of the 2021 Tour, when a fan brandishing a sign emblazoned with ‘Allez Opi-Omi’, and looking in the opposite direction, clipped Jumbo-Visma’s Tony Martin, causing a mass pile-up.

Last year’s selfie-related spill also came just days after Stef Cras was forced to abandon the Tour when a spectator leaned into the road and caused a crash, and a flag being waved by a fan got stuck in the wheels of Lilian Calmejane, causing Cras to claim some fans “have no respect” for the riders.