Bicycling

The roadside fan who caused a giant crash at the Tour de France is to be sued by the event’s organisers.

The woman concerned held up a banner slightly into the road and was looking straight at the television motorbike cameras with her back turned on the speeding peloton.

German rider Tony Martin brushed past her and was knocked off balance racing near the head of the peloton, and when he fell it caused a horrifying domino effect ending in a tangle of bikes and bodies.

DSM’s German rider Jasha Sutterlin was the only one who had time to pull out at that moment but several people were hurt, including spectators.

“We are suing this woman who behaved so badly,” Tour deputy director Pierre-Yves Thouault told AFP.