The Woman Who Caused Tour De France Crash Will Be Sued Once Caught
In the News
The woman who caused one of the biggest crashes in recent Tour de France history will be sued by organisers when she is eventually caught.
On Saturday, the first day of the world-famous race, the spectator leaned out into the path of the peloton with a sign reading "Allez Opi-Omi," a hello to her grandparents.
However, she was looking away from the cyclists, and German rider Tony Martin hit the sign before falling off his bike, causing a huge pile-up.
I shouldnt imagine it will be hard to find her after her picture is so clear in the photo and it will have gone viral everywhere
https://www.sportsjoe.ie/womeninsport/woman-caused-tour-de-france-crash-will-sued-caught-230840
Interesting one, I wonder if the woman has actually committed any offence, as it was a public place, with no fences, barriers or marshals present and it didn't look like it was a deliberate act .
Yes M, its an unusual situation but they are saying she stepped out with the banner and caused one cyclist to swerve with the rest crashing into him
I think they want to make an example of her to make sure this thing doesnt happen again
Mango4 I agree with this totally. She didn’t mean for that to happen. They should be better organised and not allow people to get close. Using her as an escape goat. She did something silly. But people have got in the way before.
telmel that’s what they are doing making an example. But I don’t think it’s all her fault. Did she do it on purpose ? If this happened it a less famous event we wouldn’t even know about it. I blame the organisers, don’t allow spectators so close. 
I've been watching the Tour de France and saw this crash happen live on TV. What she was doing was ridiculous. A lot of riders were hurt and a number of £10,000+ bicycles were damaged beyond repair because of her actions. I've been following this news story and checking daily to see if she has been caught. She will likely feel terrible just now. Afraid of every outside noise and dreading a knock on the door. If her identity does get revealed she will likely be vilified by the press and on social media. She will become a bit of a laughing stock.
I think she does deserve some kind of punishment for what she did, her behaviour was so careless and stupid. I don't think it will be long until she's identified, so it'll be interesting to see what happens next.
angelik if she done it on purpose then yeah give her punishment. People have got in the way before. They should stop people getting that close. It was an accident. Silly one.
rossruby1977 I think it's the careless way she behaved that makes me feel like she should be punished in some way. Not only did she lean out into the road with the sign, but she was facing away from the cyclists at the time, so couldn't judge whether she was too close to them as she wasn't paying attention. I know she didn't mean to hurt anyone, and I know more should have been done to keep spectators further away from the road, but I think she is still at fault for behaving the way she did.
angelik yeah she was silly. It’s pretty simple. Do not allow spectators not to get in the way.
What if Someone was there to actually purposely cause harm? What if she accidentally slipped and she didn’t hold up a banner? But we know she held up a banner.
If she slipped then caused the accident. Would she still be at fault? I know that didn’t happen. But the point is…. The organisers have a duty of care to the riders and the spectators. See the bigger picture. More are to blame. You can’t just blame her.
They should stop spectators from being able to stand on the road. Anyone could of done that. Why are they making a big deal. She was silly and wanted to say hi. Her intentions wasn’t to harm anyone.
Make it more secure blame the organisers don’t make her an escape goat because something went wrong with this famous event.
That’s my opinion.
It is impossible to stop spectators going on to the road over the distances involved! I hope they find her. It's time people took responsibility for their actions and used a bit of common sense.
Hope they find her to do what though ? I still don’t get most of the people. Punish her for accidentally knocking people over by not thinking correctly. They should control it better at the start with the spectators. She should say sorry. I wouldn’t want most of the people that seem to say she needs to be punished to be in a jury.
I may be missing the point. Did this lady do this on purpose? To me it seems like she was caught up in the moment and not thinking.
Accidentally knocking one biker down. That caused a knock on effect.
I feel people are defiantly overreacting.
Like I’ve said the organisers should do more about the spectators especially in key areas.
If they can’t police the event properly to ensure the safety of riders and the public then it should be stopped a police convoy making Clear to people to stay back should not be that hard and places where people do stand along the road there should be police or security to ensure they don’t go on the road
It could have very easily have been the other way around, a cyclist could have crashed into the crowd, as you say M, the organisers and police are partly at fault for not keeping the public back
I see that the lady in question has now been arrested by the French police. Be interesting to see what happens next. Whilst not a deliberate act of sabotage it was a moment to madness that is going to have big repercussions.
telmel ha ha that’s what it seems most people want to happen. The cyclists hit her lol
They are still upset from being out of the euro 2021 , now this with the tour de france , they might be out for blood
Personally I don’t even see why she’s been arrested. Did she even commit a crime?
I hope she gets a good jury. 
Its not looking goodfor her
Wed, 30 June 2021, 4:50 pm
The spectator who caused a mass crash of riders on the opening day of the Tour de France has been arrested, prosecutors said on Wednesday. One rider was forced to pull out of the race.
“A suspect is in custody,” said the state prosecutor for the city of Brest in Normandy, Camille Miansoni.
A source close to the investigation told AFP the women had been "formally identified and taken into custody a few minutes ago”.
The suspect had brandished a homemade cardboard sign reading "Granny and Grandad" in German on the roadside between Brest and Landerneau as the race began on Saturday. She was looking up the road towards the cameras but with her back to the approaching peloton.
German rider Tony Martin brushed into her, lost his balance and fell, causing a domino effect that swept through most of the cyclists, leaving them in a tangled mess of bikes and bodies.
The crash held up the race for five minutes while they were untangled.
The woman, who was wearing a yellow raincoat, reeled away in horror when she realised the damage she had caused. She then disappeared into the roadside crowds, her sign folded beneath her arm.
Police had been searching for her ever since. Shortly after the incident, authorities said they planned to press charges.
"We are suing this woman who behaved so badly," the Tour de France's deputy director, Pierre-Yves Thouault, told AFP.
"We are doing this so that the tiny minority of people who do this do not spoil the show for everyone," he added.
“The major issue on the Tour is road security,” lieutenant-colonel Joël Scherer of the French Gendarmerie told AFP on Sunday.
Scherer said charges would include "unintentional short-term injury through a manifestly deliberate breach of a duty of safety or care".
German rider Jasha Sutterlin was the only cyclist who had to pull out of the race, his Tour de France dream ruined on the first day.
Eight other riders needed treatment from the official doctor and a host of others were treated for grazes, bruises and cuts caused by the pile-up.
telmel if she still stayed there I wonder if they would of arrested her? She should if stayed. But May of been scared on what others could of done. As people go over the top.
She was silly got caught up in the moment. Like I’ve said… the organisers are to blame as well for allowing spectators getting so close. They have a duty of care for the safety of riders and spectators. They clearly failed. Now they are pushing it all on one person.
They need to look at how it happened and why. It will be a waste of money if they take it to court. As I’m pretty sure any decent court will see it as a silly accident.
If she did it on purpose then yes she should be arrested.
If they can’t organise it professionally then don’t hold the event.
It could of been a child accidentally standing in the way causing the accident.
So many factors. There are a lot of Different ways something similar could of caused this to happen.
We just know that she was silly and wanted to get on tv saying hello…
Everyone is missing the fact that spectators can get in the way… my question is why ?
Has anyone really thought of that before they say off with her head lol
I've also read she handed herself in at a police station. But, authorities have not released her identity yet. She is going to be in for a rough ride for quite a while.
I've also read she handed herself in at a police station. But, authorities have not released her identity yet. She is going to be in for a rough ride for quite a while.
No pun intended A ? 
I think it’s a bit sad that she she will be sued as am sure she did not mean to cause the accident and she just got caught up in the moment they should have the route cordon off to stop the spectators getting to close,
telmel I’m sure some people still want her head ! Let’s ask the members of the jury 
telmel let’s hope she doesn’t do it again. And others don’t either. Now let’s hope they do crowd control for a tiny simple action to cause a huge spiral and learn from the lesson
Join for free to get genuine deals, money saving advice and help from our friendly community
Chief Bargain Hunter
