'Fan'? caused massive crash at the Tour de France

[tranquility]

Surprised no one mentioned this, apparently a woman w her back to the cyclists held a long nonsensical sign [in French and German? (which says roughly "Let's go, grandpa and grandma!")] w her arm sticking well into the road, and the result was havoc and destruction. Just wow...

She apparently then took off and now the police are looking for her and the organizers, etc wanna sue the crap outta her. Some ppl are speculating that a gambling syndicate intentionally set this up and that she's not even a woman haha.

Best angles @0:48 and @1:29

[tcphoto]

It looked like some pinhead there to collect a check, not a fan or spectator there to see the Tour. Who causes such a wreck and runs away? What was she promoting? Was it self promotion or was she sent there?

[GuidoK]

This is a problem that has been going on for a long time in the TDF.
Especially on the mountain stages that fans get in the way.
So more and more barriers are placed.

'Fans' show up for themselves instead of for the riders and you get situations like this.

Today's TDF etappe was also littered by crashes (not fan related though, just a dangerous track)

[overcoil]

watch this idiot interrupt a competition

[sider1681]

talk about being completely detached from the situation. I can imagine them saying "Did I do that?" before scurrying away.

[sider1681]

Originally Posted by tranquility

Some ppl are speculating that a gambling syndicate intentionally set this up and that she's not even a woman haha.

I'd buy into theory. Let's say it was, how the heck could you even prevent that in this type of event?

[tranquility]

I don't wanna speculate too much but it does look very weird, and who cares about her grandparents, are they TDF fans? So so weird and suspicious, sticking such a big sign [and she must have (ought to have) known she's going] into the road, how the heck does someone not know hundreds of bikers are coming? I wonder if you slowmo it would you see if she tightened her arm because the biker's going at speed and probably should've just thrown *her* off instead of the other way around.

[tranquility]

Originally Posted by sider1681

I'd buy into theory. Let's say it was, how the heck could you even prevent that in this type of event?

Ya, it's a possibility. Some ppl are clamoring for railing off everything but that's crazy, barriers lining the entire race? Not practically feasible.

[erickonphoenix]

today I learned what "peloton" really means. I always thought it was a piece of exercise equipment.

[GuidoK]

Originally Posted by erickonphoenix

I always thought it was a piece of exercise equipment.

Why would you think that?

[JJ 911SC]

Originally Posted by tranquility

... Some ppl are speculating that a gambling syndicate intentionally set this up and that she's not even a woman haha...

Yes, same Gambling Syndicate that lost a bundle on the 2016 US Election

[GuidoK]

So they've found and arrested the woman who caused the crash in the TDF last saturday:
https://www.eurosport.co.uk/cycling/...60/story.shtml

From what I've read the tour organisation (ASO) filed complaints of causing injuries that lead to temporary incapacity for work and deliberate violation of safety regulations.

[zhangzheng]

Originally Posted by GuidoK

So they've found and arrested the woman who caused the crash in the TDF last saturday:
https://www.eurosport.co.uk/cycling/...60/story.shtml

From what I've read the tour organisation (ASO) filed complaints of causing injuries that lead to temporary incapacity for work and deliberate violation of safety regulations.

may god rest her soul and hopefully she can get a good defense lawyer, she will need it

[GuidoK]

Originally Posted by zhangzheng

and hopefully she can get a good defense lawyer, she will need it

I don't think she'll need a good defence layer (although legal council will probably be given of course)
She's facing a €1500 fine but tbh I doubt it'll come to that. (maybe they come to some sort of settlement with an official apology or something like that)
It is very difficult to build a case around situations like this.
The strongest point is that she left the scene of the accident before authorities arrived.

I read in another article that if a rider made a personal complaint she could face €15000 or 1 year jail max per article 222-20 du code pénal:
https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/codes...I000024042640/
But I think that has no chance because the case lacks intent which is a requirement.

If a real lawsuit would be held, the strongest points for the woman would be:
1. the tour organizers are aware that incidents with fans happen, therefore they shield large parts of the track with fences. If they want to eliminate the possibility of incidents with fans, they should fence off the entire track or not allow fans to stand next to the road.
2. the tour organizers allow specators to have/show signs and stand next to the road
3. the woman had no intent to cause the crash. It was an accident caused by a momentairy lapse of awareness
4. the riders drove into her.

In the end this is foremost sad. Sad for the riders that got hurt in the crash, sad that fans are there apparently more for seeking their own attention than to enjoy the sport. But that last aspect has been known for many years now and many similar accidents have taken place in the past.
In the end the only thing the tour organizers can do is concentrate on fan awareness (and in this case, that woman could have been seriously injured too), more stewards along the track, maybe more motorcyclesupport in front of the peleton (deadly crashes between supporting motorcycles and fans also have happened in the past) and maybe even more fences alongside the track.

I'm not defending the woman who caused the crash, but sadly this is a known issue the organizers have to deal with. People are just plain stupid. It's a fact of life.

[M5Rick]

Originally Posted by GuidoK

I don't think she'll need a good defence layer (although legal council will probably be given of course)
She's facing a €1500 fine but tbh I doubt it'll come to that. (maybe they come to some sort of settlement with an official apology or something like that)
It is very difficult to build a case around situations like this.
The strongest point is that she left the scene of the accident before authorities arrived.

I read in another article that if a rider made a personal complaint she could face €15000 or 1 year jail max per article 222-20 du code pénal:
https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/codes...I000024042640/
But I think that has no chance because the case lacks intent which is a requirement.

If a real lawsuit would be held, the strongest points for the woman would be:
1. the tour organizers are aware that incidents with fans happen, therefore they shield large parts of the track with fences. If they want to eliminate the possibility of incidents with fans, they should fence off the entire track or not allow fans to stand next to the road.
2. the tour organizers allow specators to have/show signs and stand next to the road
3. the woman had no intent to cause the crash. It was an accident caused by a momentairy lapse of awareness
4. the riders drove into her.

In the end this is foremost sad. Sad for the riders that got hurt in the crash, sad that fans are there apparently more for seeking their own attention than to enjoy the sport. But that last aspect has been known for many years now and many similar accidents have taken place in the past.
In the end the only thing the tour organizers can do is concentrate on fan awareness (and in this case, that woman could have been seriously injured too), more stewards along the track, maybe more motorcyclesupport in front of the peleton (deadly crashes between supporting motorcycles and fans also have happened in the past) and maybe even more fences alongside the track.

I'm not defending the woman who caused the crash, but sadly this is a known issue the organizers have to deal with. People are just plain stupid. It's a fact of life.

It's a sad fact that there will be nutcases present at sporting events (who have no interest whatsoever in the sport) within close proximity to crowds such as this. Quite frankly it would have been karma if the placard holder was harmed for her brainless act (causing an obstruction with an object) and hopefully she is sued for all she's worth.

[Dlpfcb]

I have to agree that she should be charged on a large scale. The injuries is the first part that the riders may have received. The part nobody mentioned is the mass amount of training time, equipment as these bikes are as much as as a car. I understand the training commitment and time that is needed to do an event this big. I can tell you if someone ruined years upon years of work that I put in to have it all flushed down the drain, I would pursue charges.

[M5Rick]

Originally Posted by Dlpfcb

I have to agree that she should be charged on a large scale. The injuries is the first part that the riders may have received. The part nobody mentioned is the mass amount of training time, equipment as these bikes are as much as as a car. I understand the training commitment and time that is needed to do an event this big. I can tell you if someone ruined years upon years of work that I put in to have it all flushed down the drain, I would pursue charges.

..and what was this pos holding..a sign with 'Go grandma-grandad'.

[frchdragon]

This is really painful to watch, reminding me of Group B rallying in the 80s when people were playing chicken with rally cars.

[GuidoK]

Charges from the Tour organisation against the woman have been dropped, as I predicted.

Building a case would be very difficult. And if the Tour organisation (ASO) would loose, what then? More of those lunatics on the side of the track? Case law created....

I think the fact that the woman had to go into hiding to prevent the proverbial angry mob and she contacted the police herself also played a part.

Originally Posted by Dlpfcb

The part nobody mentioned is the mass amount of training time, equipment as these bikes are as much as as a car. I understand the training commitment and time that is needed to do an event this big. I can tell you if someone ruined years upon years of work that I put in to have it all flushed down the drain, I would pursue charges.

I think everyone here understands the amount of training time commitment etc have been lost.
But the charges pressed aren't going to make up for that. That would require a civil lawsuit which would be far far more difficult with a lot of negative publicity.
It's not going to come to that.

[tranquility]

The prb is trying to prove intent. *If* the woman had evil motives, she did a very good job hiding it as it looks like an accident, despite it being a very boneheaded, clueless and inconsiderate one.

[GuidoK]

So I saw another report that said that the woman was still in custody.
Due to medical-legal reasons.
I think there is 1 TDF rider (Soler) that thinks about making a legal complaint (or civil lawsuit? I don't know the details). He also fell and had fractures in both his arms (he did finish that day though) but he is not the rider that came into direct collision with the woman (that was Tony Martin).

So I don't know what the chances of such a claim would be.
I mean mass crashes in the peleton happen all the time in the TDF (the next day there were like 4 or 5 mass crashes).
If you don't want to crash into another driver that fell (for whatever reason), then in essence dont ride in the peleton where distances are minimal. Ride in front or ride in the rear.
Just like in normal traffic: if you drive 2 inches behind the car in front, at one point you will crash into that car.
I think that will be the result if a civil lawsuit would be held in case of the rider Solar.

[tcphoto]

I was disappointed that the Tour Organizers dropped their potential lawsuit but local Authorities were pursuing other charges. I hope that individual teams pursue Civil actions against her, it was reckless and selfish of her to do what she did. What did she think would happen by standing on the course and holding a sign so rigidly?