Tour de France: Judicial investigation launched against offending spectator

As the tour began on Sunday for the second stage between Perros-Guirec and Mr-de-Bretagne, the gendarmerie announced on Sunday the opening of a judicial investigation against the spectator causing a major downfall on Saturday with his mark.

• Read also: A spectator causes a massive fall at the Tour de France

The gendarmerie forces confirmed to AFP on Sunday that the two large mass falls in the first stage of the Tour de France did not cause any serious injury to the crowd gathered on the roadsides.

But on Saturday, Peloton shocked a spectator who waved her back in the direction of the race and caused several runners to fall 45 km from the finish.

Witnesses were called to find her and to open a judicial investigation into “involuntary injuries with a disability of not more than three months as a result of a clear intentional breach of the obligation of safety or precaution,” as the Finistere gendarmerie identified on Facebook.

“The main issue on the tour remains road safety, and that was clarified yesterday,” Lt. Col. Joel Shearer explained. But “I can confirm that there are no casualties in the public,” continued the liaison officer from the Gendarmerie Department with the ASO, the tour organizer.

A second fall occurred a few kilometers later, again throwing several runners to the ground.

During the second stage on Sunday, prevention messages will continue to be broadcast by four designated cars inside the convoy.

“As they pass by, they will remind the people, that they always keep out of the way, that they do not throw themselves away for gifts and to keep their children,” said Lieutenant Colonel Shearer Detailed.

“The champions are the contestants, not the people who come to pass a message with a banner on it to be shown on television,” he said, while admitting that Saturday’s incident was the result of “individual behaviour”.

About 500 gendarmes will be deployed during the second phase. During the entire round, they will be 14,000 to secure the race.