Video: Spectator causes crash at race - by deliberately pulling down barriers

A spectator at a bike race on the island of Reunion in the Indian Ocean deliberately pulled down barriers to cause a crash - reportedly because he was upset that the event had not been stopped following an earlier crash in which his son had been involved.

Video of the incident at today's Stage 1 of the Tour Cycliste Antenne Reunion in the French overseas department was shared on Twitter by local journalist Antoine Forestier.

Comportement scandaleux d'un spectateur qui provoque la chute de coureurs avec les barrières de sécurité ! #TCAR pic.twitter.com/u8umFpvABb

— Antoine Forestier (@a_forestier) September 4, 2016

He also tweeted a copy of a communique from race organisers who confirmed that the spectator, Jean-Bernard Boyer, a member of the Sainte-Marie Velo Club, had been fined 300 euro as a result of his actions, which they described as a "particularly serious event."

It happened as a breakaway group of 10 cyclists sprinted for the line with Mr Boyer, according to organisers, "deliberately pulled several barriers in front of these riders."

They continued: "This caused the fall of six riders, with the other four managing to avoid the barriers to reach the finish line, while the other riders were not able to reach the finish line after being diverted to the team parking." The stage was neutralised, with no classification produced.

Enzo Bernard of Happy Bikes, held responsible for the earlier "very serious crash" which had put Mr Boyer's son Jonathan out of the race as well as injuring a child watching the event, was expelled from the race and fined 130 euro.