Medium Size Dog

Two cents. Some kind of honor system or common sense has kept most of the thousands of spectators and their stuff from interfering or there would be a lot more incidents. How about this? Riders on electric motorcycles near each side of the road 15-30 seconds ahead of the pack. Quiet with no exhaust. Attached to and extending a few feet or metres to the left and right of the bike is something stiffer than a pool noodle that won't really hurt but still means business to clear the edge of the road. Since most people are focused on the riders and then the aftermath spectacle of the crash it is easier for the one that caused the crash to escape. Make it OK for other spectators to detain or deter the idiot who is still too close to the road

vane171

I don't see how she couldn't be found, criminals are found on much less clear camera shots. But there would have to be a will and that seems in doubt. All that hype to bring spectators in and pep them up properly would be negated. Also don't see why is there any confusion regarding gender but these days I suppose...

If this goes on, maybe some guys will think twice wanting to take part in such a sport event that is becoming somewhat of a gladiator event. There has to be some limit where it stops being worth the money and career.

MinnMan

Becoming? As in "it didn't used to be"? LOL.

Iride01 

Yeah, It's always been an issue with fans. And I think it's is continually thought about. But fascist type rules for spectators might kill the sport entirely.

Besides, what can the ASO really do? On what basis would the ASO be able to do anything about those fans that are acting stupid? Laws are made by governments and enforced by governments.

I suppose they could stop the race and ask everyone to move back.

dmanthree

Just hoping they can find her, punish her, and make a clear example for other idiot fans. Like those morons who feel the need to run alongside rider on climbs. I'd love to take a baseball bat to them.

ericy

For the most part, the morons don't interfere with the riders. They are typically on the steep climbs where riders get spread out. They are probably drunk as hell, and yet they manage to cheer without interfering.

If this woman had been 2 feet back, there would have been no issue. Or for that matter, if she hadn't suddenly pulled out a sign when the cameras were there, she might have been fine (she was still too close - the other fans were a few steps back in the ditch - her feet were touching the pavement).

tyrion

It's not a crime, it's just a stupid mistake amplified by bad luck.

Moe Zhoost

Fixed. Luck was not a factor.

MinnMan

I don't know the law in France, but in the US, reckless endangerment is a crime. This would seem to qualify.

Moe Zhoost

Fixed. Luck was not a factor.

tyrion

I think luck was a factor. She was goofing off, showing off at the exact wrong time. Crossing the line at the exact wrong time. If she would have ended her dance/stunt 3 seconds earlier it wouldn't be an issue.

tyrion

If that's reckless endangerment, the whole race is reckless endangerment.

CliffordK

There were likely motorcycles with cameras out ahead. So, she whipped out the sign to be seen by the cameras.

One of the problems is that one doesn't always expect bicycles to be coming along at 25 to 30 MPH.

And of course, the woman was smiling for the cameras, not paying attention to the race behind herself.

MinnMan

If you are angling to be her avocate, you'll have to do better than that.

tyrion

I know. I think a distinctive warning bell is the least intrusive way to minimize these events (as opposed to fences and criminal penalties and such). There's a lot of informality around the live viewing of the race, and I think they should try to preserve that. There will be adjustments, but let's not over-adjust. IMO.

tyrion

I'm just stating my opinion And it's not an extremely informed opinion, but as long as it's allowed, here I am.

CliffordK

How many miles into the race was the crash? One of the problems is that all the riders were still in an enormous pack, spread from edge to edge on the road, giving no room for error.

No fog lines on the road.

The easiest thing would be to lay 1000 miles of chalk along the road. But there is no guarantee fans would respect it... not when there is a chance of getting their face attached to the biggest bike crash of the year.

MinnMan

toward the end, with 20 km remaining. Riders all the way across the road can be at any distance along the race from start to finish, depending on conditions and race dynamics.

vane171

It is something like 'causing injury to others by careless negligence' but I am not a lawyer. Still I am quite sure this is a criminal offense that resulted in broken bones, real injuries, not counting material damage which is surely quite significant (but race sponsors money is not seen as skin off one's A$$, so).

Try to cause something like this by negligent behavior when it comes to normal bicyclists commuting in town, say you step back into a bicycle lane without checking first in order to make bigger room for a better selfie or whatever, and I want to see you being cavalierly treated like people do treat it here in this case.

But it may be not vigorously pursued trying to find the offender, maybe only a token investigation will take a place because race organizers need as much hulabaloo around the roads as they can get and also, while I am not saying they would want accidents to happen, when they do happen, they bring more race event viewers, attention, and that translates to money. Nobody will admit that of course.

Until crazy people who cause or come close to cause accidents around these races are not meted out some punishment, spectators will be worse every year (and almost certainly it will get worse even if punishments would be meted out), because the times are like that.
Stadium sports like soccer, hockey, football, need to be fenced in from aggressive fans where in past it was played without any barriers whatever. I watch major tennis matches and as years roll by, you get more and more aggressive fans, organized fan groups and it is becoming rowdy like a football, soccer matches. There is this tennis Fed Cup series where you get national teams competing and that lost me as a viewer for some years because that's OTT, sometimes I watched a given interesting match with sound turned off or turning it off as soon as exchange ended.

Ald1 

Hey Caretaker. Sorry maybe I should have phased things better. I have followed cycling and love the fact that their are spectators along the road cheering. It does make this sport unique. What I'm surprised about is how they let this go on
and give celeberty status to idoits that get on the road and interfer with the athletes (devil guy?) I think this is a case of "looking the other way" far too much and perhaps this recent tragety will spur positive action with some stricter enforcement(s). I am aware of the massive media campaigns urging fans to be respectful but until they dole out consequences for these actions nothing will change. Maybe finding this lady and suing her would be a good start.

Paul Barnard

If there were such a thing as criminally stupid, she'd easily hit the mark.

tyrion

Responding to the portion of your quote that I bolded: if you want to punish people for breaking the rules, the rules must be clearly stated.

What are the rules? Don't break that vertical plane where the pavement starts? Arrest everyone that breaks that plane? Ok, clearly state it and enforce it.

I think that's the wrong way to go. This was an accident, a mistake, a stupid mistake, not an attempt to ruin the event.

In sports there are lots of malevolent heated behaviors, but this was just an accident.

CliffordK

Tour de France organizers to sue woman who caused huge crash with banner

This was posted to the "Headlines" topic. They don't identify the woman, and may not be able to find her. Nor are damages listed. Likely over a quarter million worth of property damage was done, as well as additional medical treatment.

As has been mentioned, it may not be as much about catching the woman as discouraging others from doing the same.

cb400bill

It was actually with 28 miles, or 45 kilometers, left in the stage.

MinnMan

Thanks for the correction. 187 km stage, so 140 km from the beginning.