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Spectator holding sign causes huge crash bringing peloton to a halt at Tour de France

"Leaders down, downed riders everywhere and this is chaos. This is exactly what we didn't want on the opening day of the Tour"...

A huge crash has happened at the front of the peloton in the Tour de France, caused by a member of the public standing in the road holding a cardboard sign. 

"Leaders down, downed riders everywhere and this is chaos. This is exactly what we didn't want on the opening day of the Tour," said Rob Hatch, commentating. 

The crash happened with just 45 km to go and Jumbo-Visma's Tony Martin went down hard right at the front of the bunch after colliding with the spectator and took out most of his team, along with a large proportion of the peloton. 

Martin had no time to avoid the spectator – who wasn’t looking at the bunch and was instead grinning at the TV cameras while holding a sign over the road.

Jasha SĂŒtterlin (Team DSM), who was caught up in the crash, has now abandoned.

Following the crash, teams have been appealing to fans on social media to stay back from the riders.

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14 comments

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0-0 | 2 years ago
2 likes

Next time get a bell on your bike or...

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Blackthorne | 2 years ago
0 likes

Complete imbecile deserves another reminder to wipe the grin off his face 

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Chris Hayes replied to Blackthorne | 2 years ago
0 likes

He was a her.  I know it's difficult these days with self-identification and everything ... but I'm pretty sure it was a female spectator...

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Ihatecheese | 2 years ago
0 likes

It seems that you can't mix spectators and professional high speed sports together. And thats presuming everyone is sober! There is a reason why in other sports there is some kind of barrier. Be it physical or a space. Unless comparing to rally car spectators who must truly be on a death wish ! 

 

 

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Rendel Harris replied to Ihatecheese | 2 years ago
0 likes
Ihatecheese wrote:

It seems that you can't mix spectators and professional high speed sports together. And thats presuming everyone is sober! There is a reason why in other sports there is some kind of barrier. Be it physical or a space. Unless comparing to rally car spectators who must truly be on a death wish ! 

No way you can barrier both sides of a 200kms route though, or not without bankrupting the race - and that numpty would probably have leaned over the barrier anyway. Plus riders who currently run harmlessly onto verges after bumps or misjudgements would be bouncing back into the peleton.

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AlsoSomniloquism replied to Rendel Harris | 2 years ago
0 likes

Look at the Policeman in the barriered final sprint at 94 so barriers won't stop numpty behaviour. Part of the problem is people don't realise the professionals are travelling at around 30mph when not climbing (and closer to 50 when sprinting) so misjudge waht they can do in the time they actually have.

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Mungecrundle | 2 years ago
8 likes

I trust the teams will at least be able to recover the cost of damage to bikes, clothing and other equipment from the absolute fucktard responsible.

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Owd Big 'Ead | 2 years ago
1 like

Ffs, what were they thinking?

This need to have ones 15 seconds on the tellybox amazes me. Anyway they were holding up a sign wishing Granny a Happy Birthday, or summat.

Hope granny is happy with the carnage she has caused 

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AlsoSomniloquism replied to Owd Big 'Ead | 2 years ago
0 likes

Go Opi-Omi!. Who or what Opi-Omi is though is anyone's guess. 

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Dave Dave replied to AlsoSomniloquism | 2 years ago
4 likes

Opa/Oma are German for grandfather/mother. Presumably Opi would be grandad and Omi would be granny, or something like that.

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Rendel Harris replied to Dave Dave | 2 years ago
0 likes
Dave Dave wrote:

Opa/Oma are German for grandfather/mother. Presumably Opi would be grandad and Omi would be granny, or something like that.

In Flemish and Dutch as well.

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ktache | 2 years ago
0 likes

It was the later crash that did the real damage to the placings

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sparrowlegs | 2 years ago
0 likes

I hope someone has given them a dig for that. What an absolute twunt.

Hopefully the cancel-cunts will find out who they are and expose them. 

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srchar | 2 years ago
2 likes

Wanker.

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