The spectator that caused a mass crash early in stage 15 of the Tour de France could face legal action and be liable for damages to the Jumbo-Visma team, with Reuters reporting that the French gendarmerie had identified the fan who sparked the incident.
Sepp Kuss, the key lieutenant for Jumbo-Visma race leader Jonas Vingegaard, crashed hard, along with teammate Nathan Van Hooydonck and others riders when a roadside fan leant into the road in the path of the peloton, apparently to take a selfie as the riders approached.
Reuters reported, citing a source with direct knowledge of the matter, that the spectator would not be arrested unless Kuss and Jumbo-Visma press charges with French police as per French legal procedures.
When asked if the rider would press charges, a Jumbo-Visma spokesperson said: "The team might do. We’ll find out how and when."
"I think we owe that to the riders who were on the ground. Not only ours, but also those of other teams," Jumbo-Visma team manager Richard Plugge told Dutch broadcaster NOS, calling on fans to behave better when watching the Tour de France from the roadside.
“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,” Kuss said of the crash. “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.”
All those who fell made it to the end of stage 15, but there were a number included in the race medical report as having received treatment during the stage.
It is not the first time a spectator has sparked a crash at the Tour de France, nor the first time pursuing legal action against them has been discussed.
In 2021 a woman was arrested and charged by police after standing on the road holding a cardboard sign saying "Allez Opi-Omi!" during the opening stage from Brest to Landerneau.
Jumbo-Visma rider Tony Martin was unable to avoid her sparking a mass pile-up. In that case, she was fined €1,200 by a French court and ordered to pay a symbolic €1 to the French Cycling Union, UNCP.
Tour de France organisers ASO withdrew their lawsuit but called on spectators to respect the riders.
