Spectator’s carelessness punished
In 2021, a spectator received a criminal conviction after causing a collision at the Tour de France when she held up a large placard to get noticed on television.
The 31-year-old, whose identity was hidden after receiving abuse, stepped out in front of the tightly packed peloton and Tony Martin, a German cyclist, hit her and fell, causing a pile-up and other riders to swerve into the crowd.
The woman was found to have fled the scene and remained in hiding for four days before turning herself in, when she was charged with endangering lives and causing unintentional injuries. She received a fine of €1,200 (£1,000) in court.
Impactful victory
Mr Vriesman’s collision wasn’t the only spectacular crash during a bike race over the weekend.
In Switzerland, Liam Slock of Belgium overtook two rivals on the final stretch and began to celebrate as he approached the finish line. However, as he did so, he lost control of his bike and crashed over the line – still in first place.
“Luckily the win came with it, otherwise this would probably have been the fail of the year,” he said after the race.