Spectator Who Caused Massive Tour de France Crash Arrested After Days-Long Search: Report

Karen Mizoguchi
·2 min read
108

NBC Sports

The woman who caused the massive pileup during the Tour de France has been arrested.

The unidentified female spectator, 30, was arrested after she presented herself at a police station, according to Reuters which reported on Wednesday that she remains in custody at a police station in Landerneau, an area in Brittany, where the tour held its first four stages.

The woman's arrest comes days after law enforcement officials from the Finistère area announced on Facebook that they opened an investigation into the cause of "involuntary Injuries with Disabilities not exceeding 3 months by manifestly deliberate breach of an obligation of safety or caution," adding, "The viewer causing this accident left the scene before the investigators arrived."

Tour deputy director Pierre-Yves Thouault also told the AFP: "We are suing this woman who behaved so badly. We are doing this so that the tiny minority of people who do this don't spoil the show for everyone."

The fine for the spectator could reach 1,500 euros (approximately $1,780), German television network RTL reported. However, the fine could increase if German cyclist Jasha Sutterlin, who was forced to withdraw from the tour following the crash, files his own complaint against the spectator.

Anne-Christine Poujoulat - Pool/Getty

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In video footage from the June 26 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.

The world's largest cycling 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.