Police searching for Tour de France spectator who caused massive cyclist crash

Authorities are searching for a woman who caused a massive pileup of dozens of cyclists in the Tour de France on Saturday.

Footage from the first day of the grand tour set to last through July 18 showed cyclists packed tightly together as they raced down the road. 

A woman wearing a yellow jacket could be seen stepping out from the sidelines while smiling and posing with a long banner reading, “Allez Opi-Omi,” or “Come on granddad-granny,” in a mix of French and German.

German cyclist Tony Martin rode straight into the sign before he fell to the ground, causing a domino effect as other cyclists behind him collided. 

Other photos and videos that went viral on social media showed the cyclists sprawled on the ground and toppled over each other, with one photo showing the front portion of a bike damaged from the crash. 

GREAT TO SEE SPECTATORS BACK INVOLVED IN SPORTS EH pic.twitter.com/Kwxj8be2Qh

— Timothy Burke (@bubbaprog) June 26, 2021

jc pic.twitter.com/SE81ehH6fF

— Timothy Burke (@bubbaprog) June 26, 2021

Authorities have yet to locate the unidentified woman, whom French publication Ouest-France reported quickly fled the scene. 

While it is not clear where exactly the woman, who is believed to be German, went, Ouest-France reported that she boarded a plane shortly after the incident. 

A spokesperson with France’s National Gendarmerie, one of the country’s two national police forces, told NBC News Monday that the woman’s actions were “imprudent.” 

The National Gendarmerie announced Saturday that it had opened a probe into the injuries caused by what it called a “manifestly deliberate violation of an obligation of safety or prudence.”

According to NBC, investigators are looking through camera footage and are seeking assistance from the public for any information that could help identify and locate the woman. 

Tour deputy director Pierre-Yves Thouault told Agence France-Presse that the organization planned on suing the woman, who he said, “behaved so badly.” 

“We are doing this so that the tiny minority of people who do this don’t spoil the show for everyone,” he added.

Following the crash, the official Tour de France Twitter page tweeted a video informing spectators to follow specific safety rules during the tour, including not running alongside the riders and to not “risk everything for a photo or to get on television.” 

“For the Tour to be a success, respect the safety of the riders,” the tweet added.

⚠ We’re glad to have the public on the side of the road on the #TDF2021.

But for the Tour to be a success, respect the safety of the riders!

Don’t risk everything for a photo or to get on television! pic.twitter.com/eA6nnhRhWv

— Tour de France™ (@LeTour) June 26, 2021