Thursday, December 9th, 2021
“Allez Grandpa-Grandma!” at the tour
Convicted of the perpetrators of the mass fall
Their cardboard sign brought down the German professional cyclist Tony Martin, around 50 other participants fell on the first stage of the Tour de France in June. Some had to cancel the most famous cycling race in the world because of this. Now the verdict for the 31-year-old French woman has been given.
The spectator responsible for the mass fall on the first stage of the Tour de France in June has been fined 1200 euros by a court in Brest. This is reported by the French news agency AFP. In June, during the first stage of the Tour de France in Brittany, the 31-year-old French woman stood with her back to the approaching Tour participants at the side of the road and held her cardboard sign saying “Allez Opi-Omi!” kept in the way. She was sure that her grandparents were watching the tour on TV, she said during the trial.
The German time trial world champion Tony Martin could no longer evade, collided with the shield and fell – and as a result around 50 other tour participants. Several athletes had to drop out of the tour due to serious injuries, including the German Jasha Sütterlin and the Spaniard Marc Soler, who had to be treated for three fractures in his left arm.
The woman initially moved away from the scene, but surrendered days later. According to the court, she was accused of negligent bodily harm and endangering the lives of others. The prosecution had demanded four months probation for the 31-year-old. The court hearing said that the defendant had understood the danger of what she was doing and had apologized. The French woman chose the label “Allez Opi – Omi” because of her grandmother of German descent. She was sure that the grandparents were watching the tour on TV.
The Tour de France ultimately refrained from taking legal action against the woman. The international professional cycling federation (CPA), however, held on to a lawsuit. It was about promoting more respect for the cyclists who had trained months for the tour and some of whom could no longer continue afterwards, it said in a statement by the CPA. “The damage suffered by drivers is physical, moral and economic in nature,” stressed the CPA.