Tour de France crash: What happened to bring Stage 1 to a standstill?

Supporter bearing homemade sign for TV cameras brings down peloton and sparks chaos

This year’s Tour de France got off to a rocky start over the weekend after a spectator brandishing a cardboard sign for the TV cameras collided with the rider leading the peloton, causing a mass crash.

The incident took place approximately 25 miles from the Stage 1 finish line in Landerneau, Brittany, and saw Germany’s Tony Martin, captain of the Jumbo-Visma team, powerless to avoid the fan, who was leaning out into the road, grinning and holding aloft a message for her grandparents (“Allez Opi-Omi”).

Sideswiped by the sign, Martin toppled over to his left, taking out several of his teammates before much of the rest of the pack fell like dominos, leaving a tangle of bodies and (extremely costly) shattered bikes spilled out across the narrow country lane and onto the grass verges on either side.

Italian champion Sonny Colbrelli, Belgian rider Wout van Aert, Britain’s Tao Geoghegan Hart, Richie Porte of Australia and Miguel Angel Lopez of Colombia, all contenders to win this year’s Tour, all found themselves caught up in the melee and lost valuable minutes.

Frenchman Julian Alaphilippe, riding for Deceuninck-Quick-Step, managed to escape the carnage and went on to win the stage, crossing the line with blood running from a gash in his knee.

“I hope everyone is OK. I’m calling on the fans to be careful. It’s nice to see the fans back on the side of the road, but please be careful,” Alaphilippe said afterwards.

Less lucky was German rider Jasha Sutterlin of DSM, who was forced to pull out of the Tour altogether because of the extent of his injuries, months of rigorous training ultimately counting for nothing because of the thoughtlessness of one spectator.

Another eight riders were seen to by the official doctor, while many more were treated for the cuts and bruises they sustained in the crash.

French police are now searching for the fan in the yellow raincoat who caused the disaster after she reportedly fled the scene in horror at the consequences of her actions, disappearing into the crowd with the sign folded under her arm.

Lieutenant-colonel Joel Scherer of the French Gendarmerie said the authorities expect to charge the woman with “unintentional short-term injury through a manifestly deliberate breach of a duty of safety or care”.

The Tour’s organisers say they intend to pursue legal action.

Deputy director Pierre-Yves Thouault was incensed by the disaster and told 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.”

Race director Christian Prudhomme was equally furious, telling French media: “We witnessed inadmissable behaviour today with people running across the road in front of the race and children left to their own devices. You come here to see heroes. If you want to see yourself look in the mirror.”

The Tour’s official social media account also tweeted a warning, responding: “We’re glad to have the public on the side of the road on the #TDF2021. But for the Tour to be a success, respect the safety of the riders! Don’t risk everything for a photo or to get on television!”

Saturday’s stage also saw a group of youths setting off flares from the sidelines as riders began a difficult late climb forced to breathe in their smoke, as well as a second crash 4.6 miles from the finish line that left British hero and four-time Tour winner Chris Froome injured and many others knocked from their rides, including Austrian Marco Haller, Germany’s Andre Greipel and Spaniard Ion Izagirre.

Froome was fortunate to suffer only swelling and bruising to his left inner thigh and thorax and was not prevented from reaching the finishing line - albeit in obvious pain - or participating in Stage 2.

Sunday’s race saw additional security introduced, with four official cars shielding the peloton from overexcited supporters and 14,000 security personnel lining the 114-mile route from Perros‑Guirec to Mur‑de‑Bretagne Guerledan.