Stage 14 of Tour de France on Sunday saw a massive crash after a fan looking to take a selfie got in the way of the participants and caused a huge pile-up.
According to reports, the incident happen about 52 kilometers into the race. Video replays of the incident, courtesy of GCN Racing, showed a spectator stepping over the improvised barrier and into the road while extending his hand in what seemed to be an attempt to take a photo. One participant, Sepp Kuss, got hit by the fan and quickly fell, causing the others behind him to crash. Kuss even slid a bit far from his bike.
The fans are what make our sport as exciting, dramatic and unique as it is, but with a crash caused by one not paying attention today, we'd like to remind all fans to respect the riders and allow them space to race.#TourdeFrance #TdF2023 pic.twitter.com/HMx43lvVd2
— GCN Racing (@GcnRacing) July 16, 2023
Sepp Kuss suffered injuries to his elbow and knee as a result of the crash, though he was fortunately able to continue the race. Kuss shared understanding over the incident, noting that it's not a surprise considering how many people flock to watch Tour de France–undeniably the biggest cycling race in the world.
“There was a spectator leaning into the road, I guess. It just happened suddenly and that’s part of the Tour, there are a lot of people. Ideally that wouldn’t happen, but it’s the biggest bike race in the world and a lot of people don’t know exactly what’s going on,” Kuss told Cycling News when asked about the crash.
“There was a narrowing in a town. We were just trying to slow down the peloton to let the break go and then just on the side unfortunately, somebody wanted to get a selfie. I didn’t really see it coming.”
Hopefully, though, Tour de France organizers can do something about it. After all, while there was no major injury in the latest crash, it should still be avoided at all cost since it can be dangerous for the riders.
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