Every effort will be made to ensure safety and security at Vlaanderens Mooiste
The Ronde van Vlaanderen is the biggest event in the Belgian cycling calendar, maybe even the Belgian sporting calendar. It’s almost 100 years old but it seems to be getting bigger and bigger every year; so much so that the race’s organisers are anticipating record numbers of people to turn out to watch the race this coming Sunday.
“We expect between 700,000 and 800,000 spectators along the course on Sunday,” said race organiser Wim Van Herreweghe to Sporza.
While Van Herreweghe sees no specific problems, he is concerned that, with the numbers turning out at the sides of what can be very narrow roads on the Flemish course, everybody stays safe.
“It should be a celebration,” said. “This is why 900 signallers, 600 police and 200 stewards Sunday for safety.”
Despite the number and speed of the riders and plethora of support vehicles, accidents are mercifully rare, despite the – often drunken – hysteria of many fans on roads barely wider than the vehicles themselves. When an accident does happen however, it can be serious but this is the kind of thing that Van Herreweghe’s organisation is out to prevent.
“Hopefully nothing will happen and it is a sporting spectacle,” he said. “A support vehicle in the crowd, or a child running across the street and hit would be a nightmare.”
As well as precautions on the roads themselves, Van Herreweghe is also taking precautions in the skies, preventing VIPs in commercial helicopters from flying above the race route.