Paris: A crack unit of elite counter-terrorism officers will be among a deployment of 23,000 police personnel ensuring safety at the Tour de France, which begins in Dusseldorf on Saturday, the French interior ministry said.
But while the terror threat perception is high and France remains in a state of emergency, Tour director Christian Prudhomme insists that road accidents are the biggest danger to the smooth running of the Tour.
“When 12 million people line the roadside, vehicles pass, there are cyclists in front and behind, you have to be careful that enthusiasm doesn’t eliminate attentiveness,” Prudhomme said.
Even so, for the second year running, an elite GIGN unit — which specialises in counter-terrorism and hostage rescue — will be mobilised to tackle any potential terror threat to the three-week Tour which covers 3,500km across the country during July.
The unit will be divided into two teams, one following the Tour on the road, the other by helicopter, once the world’s most prestigious cycle race enters France after two stages taking in Germany, Belgium and Luxembourg.
Tour organisers ASO have “similar agreements with authorities” in those countries to ensure security, said Prudhomme, while acknowledging that “the French special forces have their own contacts with special forces in foreign countries”.
Dog teams trained in sniffing out explosives will also patrol the departure and arrival villages during each stage, the ministry added.
And a special measure will likely be put in place for the Tour’s final stage finish on the world-famous Champs Elysees in Paris on July 23, where the city prefect will be able to create a “protection or security zone” that would allow authorities to restrict access to the area to individuals or groups.
Last year, France was on high alert for possible terror attacks as it hosted football’s European Championships and the Tour.
But while those both passed off smoothly, 86 people were killed and hundreds of others injured when a lone terrorist drove a truck into crowds celebrating the French national Bastille Day holiday on the night of July 14 in Nice.
Alberto Contador’s Trek team, meanwhile, have called up Spanish veteran Haimar Zubeldia to replace Andre Cardoso at the Tour de France after the Portuguese failed a drug test.
Cardoso was immediately suspended by his team on Tuesday after the sport’s world governing body, the UCI, said the 32-year-old had tested positive for EPO in an out-of-competition test.
It means 40-year-old Zubeldia will get the opportunity to compete in his 16th Tour, in support of Contador’s bid for a third victory.
Zubeldia is a specialist climber who finished 16th last year and has achieved top 10 finishes on five occasions, including a best of 4th in 2007.
Cardoso, also a climber who was due to compete in his first Tour after twice securing top 20 finishes at both the Giro d’Italia and Vuelta a Espana, tested positive for the banned blood booster on June 18.
“It is with deep disappointment that we have just learned that our rider, Andre Cardoso, has tested positive for a prohibited substance,” Trek said in a statement.
“In accordance with our zero-tolerance policy, he has been suspended immediately.”
