Tour teams ask fans for 'room to race'

Tour de France teams have urged spectators to be more careful after a fan trying to take a selfie caused a massive pile-up during Sunday's 15th stage.

Three teammates of defending champion Jonas Vingegaard crashed, when Sepp Kuss hit the spectator's arm and lost his balance, taking down Nathan van Hooydonck, Dylan van Baarle and a group of about 20 riders.

Vingegaard called on fans to behave better.

"I'd like to tell the spectators to enjoy the race and be there to cheer for us without standing on the road or pouring beers on us," Vingegaard said.

Team Cofidis said in a statement that fans "don't need a cellphone to make mind-blowing memories."

Egan Bernal, the 2019 champion, was one of the riders brought down in the crash and his Ineos Grenadiers team called on spectators to "give the riders room to race."

In 2021, a fan who caused a crash when she held up a cardboard sign towards a television camera, while facing away from oncoming cyclists, was fined 1,200 euros (HK$10,535).

Prosecutors had sought a four-month suspended jail sentence after she was accused of involuntarily causing injury and putting the lives of others at risk.

Yesterday was a rest day before today's 16th stage, a 22.4-kilometer time trial. Vingegaard holds a 10-second lead over twice winner Tadej Pogacar as the Tour enters its final week.