Tour de France climate protesters cause cause havoc, disrupt race in French Alps

A small group of environmental protesters created havoc at the Tour de France on Tuesday after they chained themselves together and sat on the roadway.

The demonstrators from the Derniere Renovation set off red flares while creating the roadblock during the 10th stage of the prestigious race in the Alps, The Guardian reported.

Tour de France officials acted swiftly and were photographed forcibly dragging members of the group from the course into a nearby ditch.

The disruption caused officials to delay cyclists until the course was cleared between Morzine and Megève, according to the outlet.

The climate change protest came as tour officials pledged to switch gears to reduce the event’s pollution and commit “to being an increasingly eco-responsible organization” this year.

In 2020, the race was described as “macho and polluting” by Lyon Mayor Gregory Doucet, according to the report.

Although cycling is environmentally friendly, the world’s largest annual sporting contest is accompanied by a large convoy that rolls a village built to accommodate 4,000 people across rural France for three weeks.

“Since the government doesn’t care about the climate crisis, we need to come and take over the Tour de France to refocus attention on what matters for our survival. We need to make our government react as they lead us to the slaughterhouse,” protestors reportedly said.

“Non-violent disruption is our last chance to be heard and avoid the worst consequences of global warming.”

Magnus Cort of Denmark narrowly won Tuesday’s disrupted stage.