The 2021 Tour de France saw a negligent woman cause a major crash as a string of riders fell like dominos.
The French Police has initiated a search for witnesses as of this Sunday. The organizers are determined to take serious action as well.
A woman had taken up the entire road with a sign which read. ‘Granny and Grandad’ in German. She had her back to the speeding peloton while the sign faced the road towards the race’s motorbike cameras. This careless act on her part, apparently for the sake of an appearance on the television, led to a giant crash as German rider Tony Martin brushed into her.
He lost his balance and fell, initiating a surreal domino effect which spread through the peloton disturbing the Tour in a very ugly scene. Read on to watch the video of the crash.
French Police Hunts Witnesses Following The Tour De France 2021 Woman Crash
Around eight riders were treated by the official doctor and many more suffered grazes, cuts and scratches due to the gigantic pile-up after the crash. As for the woman, she disappeared into the crowds with her sign tucked beneath her arms as soon as she realized the extent of the damage she had caused. According to what he told AFP, Tour deputy director Pierre-Yves Thouault intends to sue the woman. Watch how the crash took place in the video below.
A fan just caused a MASSIVE crash at the very beginning of the Tour De France 😬 pic.twitter.com/6q5TwQRBdU
— Blake Harms (@wxblakeharms) June 26, 2021
Even the French police intends to charge the woman with “unintentional short-term injury through a manifestly deliberate breach of a duty of safety or care.” Road security is always a major issue when it comes to the Tour and according to the police, having zero fatalities is always an aim they strive for during every bike race and not just Tour de France. Race director Christian Prudhomme also made a valid point when he stated the following. “You come here to see heroes. If you want to see yourself look in the mirror.”
As the French coronavirus restrictions relaxed, the public turned out in massive numbers on Saturday along the narrow roads of Brittany to witness the Tour de France 2021. Frenchman Julian Alaphilippe eventually became the one who triumphed in the end.