Julian Dean And Oscar Freire, Tour De France Cyclists, Hurt In Suspected Air-Rifle Shooting

COLMAR, France — Two Tour de France cyclists were slightly injured Friday in what their teams suspect was an air-rifle shooting.

New Zealand's Julian Dean and Spain's Oscar Freire, a three-time former world champion, were struck while riding in northeast France during the 13th stage.

Dean's right index finger was injured. Freire's team said he was hit in the thigh with a projectile that was removed. Both were expected to ride Saturday.

It was not immediately certain what weapon was used. But both teams – Dean's Garmin Slipstream and Freire's Rabobank – believe it was an air rifle.

"He (Dean) was very lucky," Garmin spokeswoman Marya Pongrace said by telephone. "He is a little shaken up."

Rabobank said in a statement the doctor told the team the injury to Freire "will not bother him too much."

Police were investigating, and Dean was to be interviewed at his hotel in Colmar later Friday. Rabobank said it intended to file a complaint.

The riders were hit during the descent of the demanding Col du Platzerwasel, about 22 miles from the finish of the stage between Vittel and Colmar, Rabobank said.

___

Associated Press Writer Greg Keller contributed to this report.

Comments

[sushi27]

Lance did say in an interview he most feared the fans - wow.

[tm22]

Well, when the "fans" spit on you riding up a 7.5 grade...one year a fan jumped out and tried to throw a rider off, trip him up...it's the only sport in the world where you can get right up next to the pro and literally touch them, scream in their face, hand them water, etc. during an event.

[UnknownSoldier]

Marathons come to mind

[Wisdo]

thats right. cycling fans are amongst the best armed on earth.

In a previous Tour de France, 7 competitors were taken out by an american fan using a recoiless steadycam style minigun - reminiscent of the movie "aliens".

He was fireing 10mm caseless. And right next to the core too.

[Entwife]

Eddie Merckx, one of the very best cyclists in the entire history of the sport, was punched in the stomach by a spectactor as he rode through the crowd. I think it nearly, or did, end his career.

[raymurt]

So you show a picture of Greg Lemond from 1989?

[OlskoolDem]

with down tube shifters, H-Po is spot on again.

[marcain]

An air rifle is as powerful as a 22. This reminds me of an event as a kid when the son of the pharmacist down the street shot a carpenter in the arm building a house next door with an air rifle. The carpenter was sooo pissed. That kid grew up to own a popular business in Portland, Oregon.

[dogman44]

Air rifles are not as powerful as a .22. None that I know of any how.
Not even near the power of a .22.

[Earl]

Pellet guuns will punch through quarter inch plywood at 50 feet.

[dpiyjrtmfr]

I have to say no. I grew up on a farm and I have shot every kind of gun imaginable. A 22 is way more powerful than an air rifle. That said, I wouldn't want to be shot with either of them.

[QuarryDog]

Lance:

"Levi, nice job faking that crash"

"Here's a sling to complete the deception"

"The rifle's hidden in it like we planned"

"Go get some high altitude target practice today"

"Wait until the sprinters arrive so no GC contenders get hit"

"Operation Remove Contador begins soon..."

[Sensiblebg]

He got sh 0 t with a BB g un??? It cant be that bad..

[FZliveson]

Have you read about how powerful some air-guns can be?
No Daisy Red Rider (You'll shoot your eye out) model

[CigarGod]

Okay, go to your sporting goods store, get educated and then come back.

[Tom Joad]

Have a cigar, CG!

[Usama]

Hmm. Now I'll have 2nd thoughts when cycling through those back roads of Florida. They filmed Jeepers Creepers around here, ya know? Spin class sounds a lot nicer now. And the view is....well......ehem. Sorry, ladies, Im married.

What's this thread about? Getting tied up in an old farmhouse and being hobbled by a deranged fan?
Being stalked by French assasins in the Pyrenees? The Eiger Sanction, while cycling?

[FZliveson]

You're Free to stop typing and wander back to your cave

[SparkyAdams]

http://flaviozappi.com/2009/06/12/forza-laurent-fignon-once-more-to-fight-cancer-this-time/

Laurent is fighting cancer.

:o(

[SparkyAdams]

Why use a picture of Lemond and Fignon from 1989?

[ladyvader]

That is what I thought.

[MisterCole]

I thought maybe a Terminator had traveled back in time to take out Greg LeMond.

[SuburbanMalcontent]

maybe it's their clever way of tying Lemond's hunting rifle accident with this BB gun crap. It does seem pretty stupid. I gotta say, as a huge cycling fan I'm surprised something like this doesn't happen more often. What other major sporting event allows completely open access to the field of play by fans. I think it's equivalent to fans at the Super Bowl standing right on the sideline like a coach. Just plain crazy.

[BrainDart]

In answer to your question: Marathons.

[FZliveson]

It's not crazy. What do you propose SubMal?

Society should not crumple to its knees over a microscopic portion of its people who act in deviant ways! There have always been deviants and they have always been punished. Society must act courageously and demand that it function to nurture its people. When punks rule, we are no longer free.

[wadenelson1]

Probably kids.

At least in France they don't give you an AK-47 when you lease a new Peugeot.

[csmcmillion]

Yeah - and no one shoots back, either.

[fcsakes]

Shades of Tonya Harding!

[IanC]

This is bad, of course -- but why is the photo from a 90s tour (that's Greg LeMond and Laurent Fignon). I'm a cycling nerd.

[Pennsanic]

Weird to see guys riding with no helmets!

[StanNotFromCA]

May have been before some copyright was placed on photos from the race. You know, sort of like the NFL and NBA stuff of not letting anyone theoretically even report stuff about the game without permission.

[namblor]

Stan, there are about 200,000 people at every stage, and about half have cameras. You can't copyright photos taken on the side of the road, come on now! And the TdF should never be compared with the NFL or NBA, cycling at this level is a global sport, Americans are a distinct minority.

[PepeLepew]

What's really bad is Greg LeMond was accidentally shot and almost died.

[Spokane]

If your a cycling nerd name the riders who used banned substances to win in the last six years.
Starting now....you have thirty minutes.......

[Wisdo]

because getty images charge too much these days.

[escribacat]

Wow.

[csmcmillion]

France needs gun control!

[Blueline]

People suck.

[Salvadore69]

I knew you can get shot cycling in Arizona, but I never would have believed that some person would go after an individual participating in a country's national event race. This is truly sad.

[Spokane]

If you never believed that some person or persons would ever go after a national event then come out into the world and watch soccer. In Arizona they do not shoot that many cyclists anyway. In fact the only ones I have read about getting shot were the ones walking into Starbucks with those obnoxious shoes on. Read the sign ' Please take your goofy shoes off before entering the store or you will be shot because you are creeping us out !"