UAE's Matxin Fernández expresses horror for involvement in Rubio's Tour-ending crash
On the morning after stage 19 of the Tour de France and its dramatic finish up the Alpe d'Huez, UAE sports director Joxean 'Matxin' Fernández has shared his side of the incident that saw Movistar's Einer Rubio crash hard into the back of the team vehicle Matxin was driving, resulting in the Colombian's necessary withdrawal from the race and 20 stitches to his facial injuries.
"Today I feel the need to explain what happened from my position inside the car on yesterday’s stage," Matxin began in a personal Instagram post on Saturday morning. "In the final kilometres of Alpe d’Huez, with thousands of fans very close to the road and a huge pressure of its own from a crucial stage of the Tour, a spectator unexpectedly swept in and fell right under our vehicle. My only reaction was to slow down right away to avoid running over it. It was only a few tenths of a second in which I was only thinking about avoiding a much bigger tragedy.
"After the braking we heard a strong impact behind us, but amidst the noise, tension, crowd and responsibility of continuing to protect the leader of the race, it wasn't until we reached the finish line when I knew the extent of the crash and that Einer had to abandon the Tour. Immediately I called the Movistar team, its directors, runners... to worry and ask about it all.
"I fully understand that, by seeing only a part of the images, criticism and questions can arise. But those of us who live cycling from the inside know that, in such extreme situations, decisions are made in fractions of a second and 'always seeking to protect people's lives.'
"I am deeply sorry for the consequences of this accident. If my decisions at that moment have ended up affecting a cyclist in the squad, I can only say that I am deeply hurt. At the same time, I think it's important to remember that the safety of riders, teams and fans also depends on the responsible behavior of those who enjoy this sport from the road.
"All my support and love for Einer, I'm deeply sorry about what happened and wish from the heart to see you again very soon competing where you deserve, it hasn't been and is not an easy day for me and I needed to pass it on to you."
