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Police searching for woman who caused massive Tour de France pile-up


French police are still looking for the woman who caused a spectacular crash on the first stage of the Tour de France.

Rider Tony Martin was sent tumbling when he rode straight into a cardboard sign being held out by a fan looking the other way at a television camera.

The collision created chaos as dozens of other riders went down in the pile-up.

“The Landerneau police are investigating and we haven’t heard back from them yet,” Tour deputy director Pierre-Yves Thouault said after race organisers ASO filed a lawsuit against the unidentified spectator.

“We are going to repeat our calls for fans to behave time and again, through the police on the side of the road and our social network,” Thouault added.

“Most of the fans are peaceful but I want to stress that [when] you come see the Tour, you don’t take selfies, you keep your kids close to you.”

Israel-Start Up Nation sports manager Rik Verbrugghe said that while riders enjoyed the support of fans, they created an extra stress in the peloton.

France’s Cyril Lemoine gets medical assistance after the crash.(

AP: Daniel Cole

)

“It’s a good thing to have all those fans on the side of the road but it brings extra stress, extra danger,” he said.

“Most of the time the fans make it pretty dangerous because they make the road narrower. But it’s part of the game, that’s what makes cycling so exciting and so beautiful.”

Martin, one of dozens of riders in multiple crashes on Saturday, urged the fans to be more respectful.

British cyclist Chris Froome grimaces as he sits on the road next to his bike after being in a crash.
Britain’s Chris Froome lays on the road after crashing during the first stage.(

AP: Daniel Cole

)

“This message is for the people who think that the Tour de France is a circus, for the people who risk everything for a selfie with a 50kph-fast peloton … please respect the riders and the Tour de France,” the German wrote on Instagram.

“Use your head or stay home!”

Mathieu van der Poel of the Netherlands won the second stage, beating defending Tour champion Tadej Pogačar and his fellow Slovenian Primož Roglič, who were second and third respectively, six seconds behind.

Reuters



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