LA CAVERNE DU PONT-D'ARC, France—The Tour de France rode on as planned Friday, with thousands of fans lining the roads and amid reinforced security a day after the deadly attack in Nice.
France was reeling again after a large truck mowed through a crowd of revelers gathered for a Bastille Day fireworks display in the Riviera city of Nice, killing at least 84 people on Thursday night. The attack, on France’s national holiday, followed attacks last November in Paris that killed 130.
But the carnage did not deter fans from showing up in numbers at the starting line in the small town of Bourg-Saint-Andeol.
“We can’t let our guard down, but it was important that they continued the race,” said Bruno Pruvost, a 56-year-old fan. “Otherwise, it would be too easy for them.”
Defending champion Chris Froome, the race’s current leader, posted a picture of the blue, white and red French flag on Twitter on Friday and wrote: “Thoughts are with those affected by the horrific terror attack in Nice.”
Froome was scheduled to compete in the race’s first time trial later Friday after organizers decided the hilly 37.5-kilometer (23-mile) leg to La Caverne du Pont-D'Arc in the Ardeche region will go ahead following an emergency meeting with authorities.
There was a moment of silence at the start, several hours drive from Nice, and Tour director Christian Prudhomme said there will be a ceremony with a minute’s silence at the finish as a tribute to the victims.
