The Tour de France got off to a rocky start after dozens of cyclists crashed on Saturday, all thanks to one overly enthusiastic spectator.
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A woman standing at the edge of the road was holding up a cardboard sign with a message for her grandparents as the competitors biked through. Seemingly too focused on angling it towards the camera as it tracked the race, she failed to move it out of the way, and one cyclist on the tightly packed road biked right into it.
His fall created a domino effect, and before long, dozens of cyclists behind him crashed into each other and into spectators, ultimately causing a pile-up that blocked the road itself.
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According to reports, the crash resulted in a number of injuries and even broken bikes, in addition to causing a delay. One cyclist’s injuries were serious enough that he had to withdraw from the race entirely.
Cycling journalist Daniel McMahon even called it “the worst Tour de France crash” he’d ever seen.
Authorities are now on the hunt for the spectator whose carelessness caused the crash. She fled the scene and is believed to have already left the country.
If found, she faces up to a £13,000 fine and a year in prison, although the organizers of the event have expressed an interest in suing her to send a message, as well.
“We are suing this woman who behaved so badly,” Tour deputy director Pierre-Yves Thouault told AFP. “We are doing this so that the tiny minority of people who do this don’t spoil the show for everyone.”
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I am so fascinated by this situation and the hunt for the person who caused the Tour de France crash.
Like, don’t run now. You got what you wanted! pic.twitter.com/bn1Y4ZytH8
— Nichole
(@tnwhiskeywoman) June 27, 2021
*First Published: June 28, 2021, 7:02 am
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