June 30, (THEWILL) -After a manhunt that lasted for days, there are reports that French police have arrested the supporter who caused a shocking mass crash at the first stage of this year’s Tour de France on Saturday.
As THEWILL reported on Saturday, nearly all of the peloton was wiped out on Stage 1 when Jumbo-Visma’s Tony Martin collided with the fan’s cardboard sign, sparking a domino effect amongst the riders, with a pile of bodies and cycles strewn on the tarmac.
In the wake of the shocking crash, race organisers threatened legal action and the French police asked for witnesses to come forward with any information that could be of use in apprehending the fan responsible, after it was agreed that it was a woman with a placard seeking attention from the race cameras.
The police have reportedly found the fan and she is now in custody with the charge of involuntarily causing injury and could potentially be slammed with a 1,500 euros fine for the pile up from which Jasha Sutterlin, from Team DSM, had to abandon the Tour altogether.
Replays of the incident on TV showed the fan holding a sign that read “ALLEZ OPI-OMI!” (which roughly translates as “COME ON GRANDDAD-GRANNY!”), unaware that it was about to send a shockwave through the peloton, with her back to the approaching riders.
A source at the venue of her hearing for the incident simply said in confirmation: “The woman has been formally identified. She has been in police custody for a few minutes, the hearing has barely begun.”
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
