July 25, 2010; Paris, FRANCE; A general view of the peloton during stage twenty of the 2010 Tour de France between Longjumeau and Paris. Mandatory Credit: Herman Seidl/GEPA via USA TODAY Sports
CYCLING: Tour de France-Stage Twenty
(Paris) — The team leading the Tour de France are considering taking legal action against a spectator who caused a massive crash by trying to take a selfie during the 15th stage to Saint-Gervais Mont‑Blanc on Sunday.
The iconic cycling race was marred by huge pile-up after a fan collided with Jumbo-Visma rider Sepp Kuss, and his fall caused several others to hit the tarmac during a tight section of the course. The fan’s outstretched arm while he was taking a selfie was the cause of the crash, causing a domino effect.
While no one was seriously hurt in the accident, Kuss and his team-mate Nathan van Hooydonck were both involved in the crash. Although Kuss, 28, was able to climb back on his bike and complete the stage, Jumbo-Visma believes that the fall hindered his performance
The American Kuss suffered cuts to his elbow and knee in the fall.
“There was a spectator leaning into the road, I guess. It just happened suddenly and that’s part of the Tour, there are a lot of people. Ideally that wouldn’t happen, but it’s the biggest bike race in the world and a lot of people don’t know exactly what’s going on. There was a narrowing in a town. We were just trying to slow down the peloton to let the break go and then just on the side unfortunately, somebody wanted to get a selfie. I didn’t really see it coming.” He shared of his injuries: “No, no, luckily the adrenaline got me through the day. I mean you just have to keep going, there’s nothing else to do about it. It’s inconvenient, but it could have been worse, and I still felt pretty good on the bike.”
French police have reportedly identified the individual, but will not arrest them unless Kuss decides to press charges, and a spokesperson for Jumbo-Visma has suggested they might take legal action on his behalf.
https://au.sports.yahoo.com/legal-action-considered-against-fan-171710475.html
Editorial credit: Frederic Legrand – COMEO / Shutterstock.com
