Cars, vans, and city bikes on TT course amid safety concerns at Bloeizone Fryslân Tour

Riders had to dodge cyclists, vans, and cars on course during the opening stage of the Bloeizone Fryslân Tour.

The opening stage of the Bloeizone Fryslân Tour — which was previously called the Healthy Ageing Tour — saw the riders tackle an out and back 14.4km time trial in Surhuisterveen, The Netherlands.

Already staged on some quite narrow roads, the course challenges were made much harder by members of the public wandering onto the course and in the way of riders.

Footage from the race showed multiple riders being forced to take avoiding action due to cyclists riding the wrong way down the course.

Perhaps one of the scariest moments was when a member of the public appeared to ignore marshals’ pleas and drove the wrong way down the finishing straight as a rider came through to finish their effort.

Whole new issue with cars on course now!#BFT22 https://t.co/qvzSsVQbYj pic.twitter.com/vYoqXOnabK

— Mathew Mitchell (@MatMitchell30) March 3, 2022

Aafke Soet of Jumbo-Visma had a particularly hard time during her ride. She had to dodge a rider at the last moment as she rounded a bend and then had to avoid three more riders just moments later.

Christine Majerus (SD Worx) and Alice Barnes (Canyon-SRAM) were also among the riders that came across cyclists on city bikes during their rides.

Trek-Segafredo’s Letizia Paternoster had her run almost interrupted by a large white van reversing into a driveway in front of her. Fortunately for Paternoster, she didn’t have to slow down to avoid the van, but she later had to avoid a car driving the wrong way down the course.

Paternoster’s teammate Ellen van Dijk would go on to win the stage, seven seconds ahead of Riejanne Markus (Jumbo-Visma).

VeloNews has contacted the organizer for comment.

collection of the last 15 minutes pic.twitter.com/rRtWkz9dcB

— Lars (@_peterlarsson) March 3, 2022