Four Die in Helicopter Accident at the Tour de Port

Four people died when a helicopter carrying journalists covering the Tour de Port sportive crashed near Rotterdam, Netherlands on June 27th casting a shadow over that Dutch city’s preparations to host the Grand Départ of the Tour de France on Saturday, July 3rd.

One journalist survived the crash, according to Radio Netherlands Worldwide, and is in a stable condition in a nearby hospital, however two of his colleagues as well as the pilot and a race official were killed in the crash.

The crash, the cause of which is unknown, was witnessed by many of the amateur cyclists taking part in the Tour de Port, which was immediately suspended, with counseling offered to participants who had watched the tragedy unfold as the helicopter crashed to the earth in a nature reserve to the west of the city.

It is believed that this helicopter accident may result in celebrations of the Tour de France’s departure from the Netherlands being toned down.