The organizers withdraw their complaint against the spectator at the sign

Published on : 07/01/2021 – 15:24

Put an end to the media rush. This is the goal of the organizers of the Tour de France who told Reuters on Thursday 1^er July, their desire to withdraw their complaint against the spectator at the origin of a collective fall during the first stage of the race. The latter waved a sign with her back to the direction of the race, on June 26, when she had been struck by the peloton and caused the fall of many runners.

The spectator had been placed in police custody on Wednesday after presenting herself to the gendarmerie of Landerneau, in Finistère.

“We withdraw our complaint. This story is taking on crazy, insane proportions,” said Tour director Christian Prudhomme.

“Deliver appeasement”

“We must recover from appeasement,” he added, regretting the “media rush” around this incident.

“When we come to the roads of the Tour, it’s for the party, it’s for the enthusiasm, it’s to enjoy it. (…) We hold the children by the hand, we do not come with his domestic animals, we do not cross anyhow and above all we respect the runners. (..) Now, (we need) appeasement “, underlined Christian Prudhomme.

The spectator, a 30-year-old Frenchwoman, is suspected of having involuntarily caused the fall of several dozen runners by brandishing on the side of the road a sign that the German Tony Martin struck at 47 kilometers from the finish of the stage linking Brest to Landerneau.

The Tour de France organization lodged a complaint following this incident and an investigation had been opened by the gendarmerie for unintentional injuries through willful breach of a particular obligation of safety or prudence.

With Reuters