It's not very often stuff like that happens with the tacks in the road. In cycling I think we have a culture very opposite from other sports, like football with hooligans. Basically you just have happy people in the road, with the smiles, and one big party you know. I think it's just the third time I remember something like this happening. But of course, I mean it's not the first time somebody does something. For example, a few years ago somebody used an air gun. Oscar Freire was hit I remember. Freire was hit. So it's not the first time stuff like that happened. I remember my first Tour, I think it was 87. Somebody threw some diesel oil in a corner on purpose. The whole bunch crashed also. I remember when somebody cut a tree between the first and second group, on a climb, so no one could pass.
It happens, stuff like that, sometimes in the Tour. I saw some headlines saying sabotage, I think it's a strong word. I think it's more like stupid kids probably. One story I remember very clearly, 2007, talking about sabotage, but I would consider sabotage... was like... Stage 2007 there was a big mess here in the Tour. There was an explosion. An actual car bomb goes through the course. When we heard, it, there was a big bang afterwards.
But...Don't take the glory away from the beautiful victory of Rabobank. With the tacks in the road — just stupid kids. Everything happened before the downhill because there was a big crowd. If there wasn't, people would have seen it happen and moved them. People are generally very nice in cycling. They would move these things out of the road. There are stupid people all over. People drink and drive. Unfortunately this was stupid people going to a bike race and throwing tacks. I can see it being stupid kids who thought it was funny and didn't realize how dangerous it can be. With a downhill, when you puncture both tires, with 50, 60 kilometers per hour, it's actually very dangerous. It can cause some crashes. These riders are risking their life more or less at these races. That's the thing with these riders. If there are tacks in the road, they will forget about it two minutes after. They are tough. It's part of the job, to forget about it. They are focused on the next stage, and the job they are going to do. When they stand at the start, they forget about the past. They have a very selective memory, or else they wouldn't be cyclists.