In the second stage of the Etoile de Bessèges this Thursday, interesting images were captured where one of the French cyclists “had his Lance Armstrong moment” when he chose a shortcut across the grass after missing a bend in the road.
Maximilien Juillard, like Armstrong in the 2003 Tour de France – when the famous American cyclist avoided Joseba Beloki’s fall, he had to get off his bike to continue on his way.
High-risk shortcut
Juillard, who races for the Van Rysel-Roubaix team, was on the run in the second stage of the competition, this Thursday. At the top of the day’s first climb, the Col de la Baraque, he competed for mountain points with Jean-Louis Le Ny. The problem arose shortly after the sprint, when the athletes had to face a technical descent.
Juillard didn’t realize there was a curve ahead and ended up heading straight into the grass at full speed, almost running over a spectator. While on the grass, Juillard saw an opportunity to take a shortcut, however, to do so, he would have to jump over a drop of about one meter.
A risk that the 22-year-old Frenchman decided not to take. So Juillard got off his bike, crossed the grass and jumped back onto the asphalt to continue the race.
Watch the unusual moment
Similar moment with Armstrong in 2003
The situation recalled a similar episode that happened to Lance Armstrong in 2003. In the 9th stage of the Tour de France, cyclist Joseba Beloki suffered a terrible fall on the dangerous descent of the Côte de la Rochette.
Armstrong managed to avoid his colleague and maintained high speed even after leaving the asphalt and entering the grass. Like a true cross-country cyclist, he took advantage of the situation and cut the route short, hoping to lose little time. However, due to a ditch, Armstrong had to get off his bike, but he was able to get back on and continue in the race.
Remember Lance Armstrong’s moment