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It’s not very often that news can overshadow what happens on the road at the Tour de France. But like this morning’s bombings in London, there are rare instances when the riders’ and Tour officials’ minds might not be entirely focused on the task at hand. One such instance is the topic of today’s commentary. It came in the Tour 10 years ago on July 18th on Stage 15.
The race was headed down the 4,000-foot descent of the Col de Portet d’Aspet. In the middle of the pack, Italian Fabio Casartelli of Team Motorola approached a left-hand bend. When a couple riders in front of him fell, Casartelli was thrown off and slid on his left side toward white, square concrete blocks designed to prevent cars from going over the side of the cliff. The base of his skull struck one of the concrete blocks and the 24-year-old lay motionless.
Dr. Gerard Porte, the official Tour doctor, arrived on the scene seconds later. He knew from the amount of blood on the road that the injury was a serious one. Casartelli was airlifted to a nearby hospital, where he died after being in a coma for a few hours. He left behind a wife and four-month-old son.
Many riders were unaware of the tragedy unfolding on the road behind them as they continued on. Stage winner Richard Virenque, who soloed to victory over Claudio Chiappucci, celebrated his spectacular win in Crêtes du Lyse, Cauterets, in front of an international TV audience that was already aware of Casartelli’s death. Virenque had not yet been told that Casartelli was dead.
This was the third time a racer had died while competing in the Tour. For Americans following the Tour over the Internet (which was somewhat in its infancy at that time), the graphic photos of a bloodied Casartelli lying in the road brought the tragedy closer to home.
Current CSC team director Bjarne Riis, who finished fifth on the stage, said he couldn’t sleep that night. And Motorola sent a communiqué to its riders telling them they were not obligated to continue racing the Tour.
But next morning, every Motorola rider showed up to the race start. On the left sleeve of their jersey was a black ribbon. Many other riders on other teams – particularly the Italians – did the same. Before the start of the stage, the entire peloton stood in silence for one minute to honor Casartelli.
Once the race got underway, it was hardly a race at all. In fact, the peloton rode at a parade-like pace, allowing Lance Armstrong to win every prime, which he would later donate to Casartelli’s family. It took them nearly eight hours to complete the 142-mile ride from Tarbes to Pau (an average of only 18 miles an hour). When they approached the finish line, the pack slowed to allow Motorola’s remaining riders to cross the finish line together. The official order of finish was Italian Andrea Peron, followed by Armstrong, New Zealander Stephen Swart, Frankie Andrea (now commentating for OLN), Canadian Steve Bauer and Columbian Alvaro Mejia. Every rider was given the same time.
The peloton also decided during the stage that the day’s prize money, which amounted to about $45,000, would be given to Casartelli's family. The Tour organization also matched that figure. It was later announced that Team Motorola donated all the money it earned at the Tour to Casartelli’s family.
Bike Bits
Helmets Not Required At Time Of Crash
If you’ve only been following the sport a few years, you might not realize that wearing a helmet in international competitions (outside Belgium, Holland and the U.S.) was not mandated until just a few years ago.
Casartelli normally wore a Motorola team-issue Specialized Air Piranha on mountain descents. But his team doctor at the time, Massimo Testa, would later say that the extremely hot day – and the prospect of another climb right after the short descent – possibly influenced his decision to go helmet-less.
Armstrong To Pay Tribute
On the 10th anniversary of Casartelli’s death, Armstrong and Tour director Jean-Marie Leblanc will travel by helicopter from Pau, where the riders will stay during the second Tour rest day on July 18, to the Col du Portet d'Aspet, where a monument was erected in memory of Casartelli.
The family and friends of the Casartelli, who was Olympic champion in Barcelona in 1992, will also attend the tribute, which will be followed by a religious service in Pau. |
