Tour de France team consider legal action after selfie-taking fan caused crash
The team leading the Tour de France are considering taking legal action against a spectator who caused a huge crash by trying to take a selfie on Sunday.
Stage 15 of the iconic cycling race was marred by a gigantic pile-up of the peloton after a fan collided with a rider. Jumbo-Visma rider Sepp Kuss was the unfortunate rider and his fall caused several others to hit the tarmac during a tight section of the course.
No one was seriously hurt in the accident, but Kuss and his team-mate Nathan van Hooydonck were both caught up in the crash. Jumbo-Visma believes that, although Kuss was able to climb back on his bike and complete the stage, the fall hindered his performance in aid of yellow jersey holder Jonas Vingegaard.
The French police have reportedly identified the individual, but will not arrest them unless Kuss decides to take matters further. The American rider suffered cuts to his elbow and knee in the fall, but tried to play down their significance after the stage was over.
However, a spokesperson for Jumbo-Visma has suggested they might take legal action on his behalf. They told The Guardian : “The team might. We’ll find out how and when.”
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The 28-year-old was asked about what happened after the stage finished in Saint Gervais, Mont Blanc, in the south-east of France. “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,” he said. “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.”
Sepp Kuss was knocked off his bike by the spectator (JASPER JACOBS/AFP via Getty Images)Asked about his injuries, he added: “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.”
Vingegaard, who leads Team UAE Emirates rider Tadej Pogacar by 10 seconds, gave a measured response when asked about the crash which wiped out two of his team-mates.
“You also cannot say that people are not allowed, but I think spectators just have to act nice,” Vingegaard said in his post-race press conference. “Don’t stand on the road and take a picture. Just be on the side of the road, not in the road.”
After a rest day on Monday, the 21-stage race resumes with a 22.4km time trial from Passy to Combloux on Tuesday.
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