A cycling fan who caused a huge pileup on the opening day of the Tour de France on Saturday has handed herself in to police in Brittany.
The woman leaned out into the road in front of the lead pack, holding up a homemade banner for the TV cameras and not looking out for the riders.
German competitor Tony Martin rode right into the banner and was knocked over. He fell sideways, toppling the rider beside him and setting off a domino effect that left most of the pack on the ground or at a standstill behind them.
At least 21 cyclists were injured, including four-time champion Chris Froome of Britain.
Police have not named the woman, who is being held in custody. However, local media say she is believed to be French, aged 30 or 31. At first, it was thought she was German because her homemade banner was a mix of French and German: “Allez opi omi” or “Go grandpa, grandma.”
The woman fled the scene but police were actively looking for her and appealed to the public for information about her identity after the Tour organizers, ASO, said they would bring a lawsuit against her.
She faces a $1,770 fine if found guilty of charges of involuntarily causing injury through reckless behavior.
