Prosecutors in France are seeking a four-month suspended prison sentence for the woman who caused a huge crash at the opening stage of this year’s Tour de France in Brittany, causing four riders to abandon the race.
The 31-year-old, from the Finistère department where the opening stage from Brest to Landernau took place, is charged with “endangering others by manifestly deliberate violation of a regulatory obligation of safety and prudence,” causing “involuntary injuries, with incapacity not exceeding three months.”
The maximum penalty she could face is a €15,000 fine and/or 12 months’ imprisonment.
The four-month suspended sentence sought by prosecutors at a hearing at the criminal court in Brest today is intended to serve as a “warning,” reports Le Telegramme.
The court has reserved judgment, with the sentence due to be handed down on 9 December.
Professional riders’ union the CPA has joined the action as a civil party and is seeking token compensation of €1 to reinforce to spectators their responsibility regarding race safety, as is the ANCP, which represents French riders.
> ‘Allez Opi-Omi’ Tour de France fan who caused huge crash asked for €1 compensation from pro riders’ union ahead of court case
Three riders – Cyril Lemoine of B&B Hotels, Groupama-FDJ’s Ignatas Konovalovas and Team DSM’s Jasha Sütterlin – were unable to carry on in the race, while a fourth, Movistar’s Marc Soler, finished the stage but had to abandon afterwards due to injuries sustained in the crash.
The woman who caused the crash as she held up a sign greeting her grandparents in German fled the scene and handed herself in to gendarmes four days after the incident, which happened on 26 June.
> “I’m ashamed, I regret my stupidity” says spectator who caused Tour de France crash
Comment to win you say, hmm I wonder what to write?
Seems the only reason to be bothered by this is if you're branding-conscious and don't want to be seen on Tiagra, which is by all accounts...
50kmh is 25% faster than 40kmh, obviously a ludcrous and typo-caused improvement.
It feels to me like the door is being left open for some new entrant in the bike component market. A manufacturer of 10 speed mechanical shifting...
I once knew some weight lifters and they said this was pretty common. Like you I left mine when I could have fixed it earlier. Finally did...
Know what you mean. Out round the paths this evening, people moved thickly, cats didn't trot aside and even the birds seemed lazy.
Don't hold your breath waiting for the police to take any interest or action in that part of the world. They don't give two sh*ts about cyclists. ...
I've already made his acquaintance!
Not really a cycle lane though, looks more like the area of the road you shouldn't cycle in, to be safe please cycle further out than this green patch
The basis of most discrimination but would have been easily fixed in this case by a big sign saying cyclists and pedestrians please use Click and...