COPENHAGEN – Luxembourg’s Frank Schleck, who crashed out of this year’s Tour de France, has criticized organizers of cycling’s showpiece event for “playing with the lives of riders”.

Schleck, who finished fifth in the last two Tours and whose younger brother Andy is in the race leader’s yellow jersey on the ongoing Tour, broke his collarbone in three places after crashing during the chaotic third stage.

The Saxo Bank rider hit the ground on the fourth, and one of the most difficult, of seven cobblestone sectors on the finale of the 213km race from Wanze in Brussels to Arenberg.

“Those who plan the route of the Tour have no right to play chance with the lives of riders just to create a spectacular race,” Schleck told Danish daily Ekstra Bladet.

According to Schleck, “falls are part of the sport of cycling, but it’s not entertainment. There are riders who never get back up and become disabled for life”.

“Nobody should draw up a course that almost invites falls and above all not on the Tour de France because no rider would really be happy to win the Tour if his victory was down only to Alberto Contador or Andy Schleck falling,”
said the national champion of Luxembourg.