Tour de France organizers dropping suit against spectator who caused crash

The organizers for the Tour de France announced on Thursday that they would not seek charges against the spectator who was responsible for a multicyclist crash Saturday.

“We are withdrawing our complaint. This story has been blown out of proportion but we wish to remind everyone of the safety rules on the race,” Tour director Christian Prudhomme said, according to Eurosport.

During the opening stage of the tour, a woman stepped into the sidelines holding a large sign that read “Allez Opi-Omi,” or “Come on granddad-granny,” in a mix of French and German. German cyclist Tony Martin ran into the sign and fell over, causing multiple other cyclists to also fall over.

According to CBS News, at least 21 cyclists were injured during the incident. 

According to local reports, the woman carrying the sign had fled the scene. On Wednesday, Reuters reported that the woman had turned herself in and been taken into custody in Brittany, France, where the incident happened.

CBS News reported that Amaury Sport Organisation, the Tour’s organizer, had said it was going to sue the spectator for indirectly injuring cyclists due to reckless behavior, which poses a fine of $1,770.

However those charges were dropped Thursday, and instead the organizers issued a stern warning for those who want to watch to the tour.

“If you come to the Tour, you hold your kid, you hold your pet and don’t cross the road carelessly. And above all, you respect the riders – they’re the ones worthy of live TV,” Prudhomme said, according to Eurosport.

Several other crashes have also happened during the tour’s first few days. Cyclists staged a protest on Tuesday’s segment of the race demanding that stronger safety measures be implemented.