Dangers of Road Hazards for Cyclists : My Experience with a Pothole

I'm a road cyclist, practicing almost every sunday morning, with a good new bike, maintained by a professional, that i've equiped on purpose, with tubeless tires, almost new [few thousands kilometers only] : Benefits = comfort, and security at a little price of re-inflating the tire every week.

I've enjoyed tubeless tires until this last sunday visiting in Lezoux a huge stupid pothole just located where bikes are riding ...

The Hazards of Potholes for Cyclists

A pothole like you can see on the picture can definitively cause multiple damages to the bike itself [like for me this sunday] but could also end up in accidents with more dramatic consequences.

Municipalities responsibilities

How come nowadays we still let these kind of pothole ... free ? They represent a real danger for many road users and no-one is exactly responsible to fix it ?

This particular one didn't appear recently [won't be so large] and is probably here for months and staying for few more months ...

As i've the location from the picture i took in the first place [May 2023], i used the exact location on one of my ride [December] to verify if the problem was fixed, hopefully it is :

Riding with my bicycle club, i was in position 4 in the group riding at around 30km/h, i got an alert from the guys in front, helping me to avoid the front wheel hitting the hole, but couldn't avoid the rear wheel : BOOM + PSSSShit, flat?tire on my tubeless almost new tire. This means tire is badly hurt and cannot keep air inside.

I'm still very fortunate i didn't have an accident and didn't fall bad down on the road. Double positive fact, the wheel was not broken ...

Though my tire is dead in the story, as a tubeless option, i had to provide and install a tube to go back home.

I'd ask for municipalities responsibility to maintain safe roads for all users, including cyclists [larger cars or trucks tires may not even feel this pothole], this particular one is on the road exactly in the lane where bikes are "tolerated" by cars [Queen/King of road] on the road, it is increasing the risk of bike accidents.

Cyclists are invited to stay their line and make sure they avoid potholes ...

How can bikers alert and have these situations temporarily / definitively fixed ? Honestly i don't know but i really feel bad doing nothing as i've been recently a victim of it ?

We're in 21th century in a developed country, how this situation can still exist ?

RoadBotics by Michelin sure we can do preventive actions to limit this type of risk, Philippe ARMAND for your information.

Call for action : to the communities of cyclists, to cyclists, any ideas of easy ways to alert municipalities, to help municipalities act on these situations that are more than a risk for cyclists, it's immediate danger ?

How can we encourage people to leave their cars for greener mobility options if we let this continue ?