Tour de France Spectator Responsible for Peloton Crash Handed Four-month Suspended Prison Sentence

A spectator who caused the crash and injuries of several riders with a cardboard  during the Tour de France tournament in June has been sentenced to a 4-month suspended prison time after a brief trial.

The incident happened when the 31-year-old woman from Brittany tried to get the attention of TV cameras by leaning into the road waving a wide sign as the dense peloton approached from behind her. Unfortunately, German rider Tony Martin rode into it and fell, which caused a ripple effect resulting in one of the biggest pile-ups in Tour de France history. Numerous riders sustained injuries including broken bones.

She then fled the scene and stayed in hiding for four days before giving herself up to police.

In court she was charged with endangering lives and causing unintentional injuries. She said she felt ashamed of her “stupidity” while her legal team highlighted the negative impact the worldwide attention and subsequent online abuse had had on her mental wellbeing, which had “terrified” her.

A lawyer representing the riders’ association (CPA) said they hoped the sentence would serve as a signal of the seriousness of her actions.

Written by BoomRadioNG