Photo: NBC Sports
According to French publicationOuest-France, the woman — who is of foreign nationality — remains “untraceable” after reportedly fleeing shortly following the June 26 incident.
In video footage from the crash, which took place in the first stage of the race from Brest to Landerneau, the unidentified female fan in a yellow jacket was seen holding a sign and venturing too far into the road with her back to oncoming cyclists. Her sign, which read “Allez Opi-Omi” (which translates from French and German to “Come on granddad-granny”), caused German cyclist Tony Martin to lose control of his bike, leading to a massive pileup.
It took approximately 25 kilometers (more than 15 miles) for the peloton to fully regroup.
“We are suing this woman who behaved so badly,” Tour deputy director Pierre-Yves Thouault told theAFP. “We are doing this so that the tiny minority of people who do this don’t spoil the show for everyone.”
ANNE-CHRISTINE POUJOULAT/AFP via Getty
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Three riders have withdrawn from the race following the crash, the Tour de France confirmed on its website.
The incident also led Tour de France organizers to release apublic service announcementon Twitter.
“We’re glad to have the public on the side of the road on the #TDF2021. But for the Tour to be a success, respect the safety of the riders! Don’t risk everything for a photo or to get on television!” a statement read on Saturday.
The annual sporting event, which was postponed last year due to COVID, will continue through July 18, with the participants covering roughly 3,414 kilometers over 21 days of biking and two rest days.
source: people.com
