Tour de France stars call for more safety

MATT Goss and Andreas Kloden have made pleas to race officials to increase safety after riders almost collided with spectators on stage two.

Stage two

TOUR de France stars, including Australia's Matt Goss and German Andreas Kloden, have made desperate pleas to race officials for increased safety after several riders almost collided with spectators on stage two.

A day after a tangle of riders was brought down by a fan taking photographs on stage one, Victorian Baden Cooke said he "clipped four spectators in the last 30km" from Vise to Tournai.

"People taking photos don't realise how close we are. Stand off the road please," Cooke, the 2003 Tour sprint
champion, tweeted.

His frustration was matched by Olympic bronze medallist and dual Tour de France runner-up Kloden.

"I also like fans on the (edge of the) road but how stupid can you be if you are standing almost in the middle of the road?," the RadioShack-Nissan veteran thundered.

"We ride almost 60kmh on a flat part and there are sometimes crazy people middle on the road - f...ing dangerous for riders and fans and take your children off the road please."

Goss's jubilation after finishing third to Mark Cavendish was muted after almost hitting fans.

"Request to spectators," he tweeted. "We a moving FAST on the roads and if you stand on the road and we hit you its gonna hurt both of us a LOT! #standback.

"Also, thing in your camera lens are closer than they appear."

American Christian Vande Velde called for a "new law."

"If you are caught in the middle of the road taking pics, you have to do a week in Cook County jail." he tweeted.

Goss was seen arguing with Spanish sprinter Oscar Freire (Katusha) immediately after the stage.

When asked about their animated discussion, Goss replied: "I was just seeing what he had for brekky."

Orica-GreenEDGE's South African rider Daryl Impey also tweeted: "Request to spectators: we a moving FAST on the roads and if you stand on the road and we hit ..."

Tour officials came under heavy pressure last year to improve rider safety after Johnny Hoogerland and Juan Antonia Flecha were knocked over by a wayward French TV car.

There are now stricter rules governing media access on the race route, but it appears general spectator control is still a problem.