By Julien Pretot
BILBAO, Spain (Reuters) – Two motorbikes from the French gendarmerie’s intervention brigade will ride ahead of the Tour de France peloton to prevent protesters from disrupting the race after several incidents last year.
“Two motorbikes will work as a duo. Our goal is to be able to bring an immediate response and avoid the race being stopped,” gendarmerie captain Jean-Francois Prunet told team sporting directors in an organisers’ briefing, of which Reuters obtained a recording on Friday.
“We want to detect movements (in the crowd) that could lead to the race being halted. It should protect the race. I’m asking you firmly to be disciplined if something should happen. Stay on the right side of the road. Do not get out of your cars to go see the riders, let us intervene so that the race can re-start.
“Those two motorbikes will be here for the safety of the riders.”
No link was made by Prunet with the riots that have hit France in the last two days after a teenager was shot dead by police on Tuesday.
Last year, the race was stopped for about 10 minutes by climate activists during the 10th stage and two more attempts to disrupt the race were also made.
(Reporting by Julien Pretot; Editing by Christian Radnedge)
