Tour de France security: are you at risk at the Tour de France?

Is Tour de France security enough to ensure the Tour de France is still safe?

Is a terrorist attack a real and probable risk at the Tour de France?

It's a shocking thought, but it demands your attention, because complacency is not an option.

Look at what is happening in the world right now.

Things have changed dramatically in the last 5 years.

I wouldn't have dreamed of the events seen in Melbourne in 2017.

And as for Europe, I remember my trifecta of TDF visits (oh to be childless without a mortgage! Avail yourself here of the fun and pageantry): these were not trips with the dark pall of attacks by (mostly) lunatics hanging over them like the sword of Damocles.

These were fun, carefree affairs where your biggest concern was ensuring you got to your viewpoint in time before a grumpy gendarme waggled his index finger whilst fingering his sidearm a bit too suggestively.

So what is the risk to Tour de France security?

Tour de France Security Risk

I'm no expert on terrorism risk, nor do I have a military background, so bear that in mind as you read on.

So here are the facts, as I see them and as they relate to Tour de France security.

• The TDF is one of the most patronised events by spectators in the world. Numbers bandied about are completely unverifiable but across a 3 week event the numbers range from 12-15 million. That's roughly 4-5 million people per week. That is a lot of people to manage.
• It is free to attend.
• There's no visible security on the 3000-odd km of road except for the French gendarmerie and other local police. However, that's not to say security at the Tour de France is not enough. The CRS maintain an anti-riot force for the Tour de France and local councils have their own agents. The French gendarmerie is a military organisation rather than civil police, and there are a lot of them on the roadside. It's probable that relevant counter terrorism units maintain a watching brief over Tour de France security (at least we hope so).
• There is no security screening and no fencing to speak of.
• Thousands of people are crammed together at least twice a day at the stage start and finish. This increases with mountain stages.
• People are generally free to move around unimpeded (read: unchecked).
• Campervans are often situated on location days (or weeks) in advance.
• Cars and campervans are present in large numbers on the roadside, in proximity to people, and without checking.
• People are free to carry backpacks.

I don't know about you but all of those factors are a recipe for disaster.

So here are my tips to try and beef up your personal Tour de France security in order to minimise risk.

Stage starts

I would try and avoid these, or exercise caution.

Generally speaking whilst there are quite a few people moving around, crowds aren't packed in tight like a stage finish.

So, whilst you have a bit more freedom of movement, and less chance of a threat, the threat is still there.

Stage finishes

I would absolutely avoid a stage finish.

Besides being a poor spectating experience, they're too risky.

With hundreds of people packed in tight against hoardings, and nowhere to go for cover if something goes amiss, this spells disaster.

A relevant point of comparison would be the Boston marathon.

How would things look with an armed assailant running amok in this environment.

Not good, I'd suggest.

High mountain stages

Popular mountain top stages expose you to the same risk factors: people and opportunity.

Some mountain stages provide little cover (e.g. upper Tourmalet), with sheer faces impeding your movement.

Some provide more cover (forested slopes) with reasonable freedom of movement.

So it's difficult to provide a blanket statement on risk.

Here's what I'd avoid:

• Any mountain stage likely to have lots of people. This means the usual climbs like the Tourmalet, Alpe d'Huez, Galibier, Hautacam, Ventoux, Izoard and so on.
• Look out for campervans and cars. They're often nearly impossible to avoid, so you may need to make a reasonably intelligent judgement about the occupants.
• Any situation where you have no cover or impeded freedom of movement (i.e. you can't run to safety quickly).

If it were me, I'd head to a smaller climb earlier in a mountain stage where there's likely to be less people. This situation also offers a better viewing experience: there's less waiting, and you can get off the mountain quickly to watch the rest of the stage on TV.

Lastly

It is true that life is not risk free: an oncoming car could hit you on the way home from work. Or, a truck could knock you off your bike and kill you.

But these people, generally, aren't acting with a cold, focussed intent to kill. Sure, they might be acting carelessly or negligently, but that's a very different proposition to a terrorist. A terrorist is someone operating in a planned, calculated manner with a goal to harm.

So, if you're going to the Tour de France, to improve your security at the Tour de France:

• Use your commonsense.
• Be aware of your surroundings and environment.
• Don't be complacent.
• Be alert, but not alarmed (hackneyed, yes; silly, no).
• Be clear where any protection is, and where escape routes are.