The Tour de France spectator who threw chips at Tadej Pogačar and Jonas Vingegaard on the climb to Pla d’Adet throughout stage 14 has reportedly been arrested for “aggravated violence” and is because of be questioned by police right now.
As nice crowds welcomed the highest GC riders in Saturday’s ultimate, the ‘fan’ soured the ambiance as he threw the contents of his chip packet into the faces of the favourites. This led stage winner Pogačar to shake his head within the moments following and Vingegaard to query why somebody would come to a motorcycle race to do that talking post-stage.
Le Parisien reported that the person was shortly taken into custody after he repeated his offence to Pogačar on Visma’s chief Vingegaard inside the ultimate few kilometres of the climb. Nonetheless, they may not query him yesterday night as they waited for him to sober up.
“He was with a bunch of very good buddies, biking followers, like us. We obtained to know one another nicely, talked about every little thing, biking, Brittany and performed shuffleboard. However he had a really drunken afternoon,” mentioned an eyewitness to the French newspaper.
The eyewitness was as confused on the man in query’s behaviour because the riders and commentators alike, with EF Schooling-Easypost supervisor Jonathan Vaughters later questioning on Eurosport “Are you there to be a biking fan, do you like the game?”.
Nonetheless, based on the witness, the offending spectator was shortly and fortunately taken away to forestall him from interfering with any of the opposite riders on the ultimate climb.
“[A nearby police officer] pushed him off the street fairly abruptly and a police automobile arrived behind the obstacles to take him away lower than 5 minutes later,” mentioned the eyewitness, with buddies of the offender equally as confused.
“The gesture didn’t appear premeditated. After the riders had handed, his buddies have been shocked. They have been clearly not at their first Tour however it was the primary time he had completed one thing silly like that.”
Adam Hansen, president of the Cyclistes Professionnels Associés (CPA), the rider’s union, introduced on X (previously twitter), that “the CPA will take authorized motion in opposition to this man with pleasure as a result of what he did to each Pogacar and Vingegaard. That is disrespectful and won’t be tolerated.”
Hansen later thanked French police for his or her fast response having seen that the spectator had been arrested.
“We have now data that the Gendarmerie have already discovered and arrested the person who did this act and spent the final night time in jail,” mentioned Hansen on social media. “We thank the Gendarmerie for his or her quick nice work, and this can be a signal not to do that to the bike owner. Please be accountable and respect the riders.”
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