Saint-Gervais Mont-Blanc, France — The leader of the Tour de France, Jonas Vingegaard, is urging fans to exhibit better behavior at the race following another mass crash during the 15th stage on Sunday.
“I kindly request the spectators to enjoy the race and support us without obstructing the road or drenching us with beer,” said Vingegaard. “Please, simply savor the race.”
Vingegaard, the Danish cyclist, currently holds a narrow 10-second lead over Tadej Pogacar from Slovenia as the race approaches its final week.
This incident, which involved approximately 24 riders, prompted appeals from several teams participating in the Tour de France.
“Please exercise caution so that the celebration remains enjoyable for both the riders and the spectators,” stated the Cofidis team in response to reports, which are unverified, that the crash was caused by a spectator taking a selfie.
The Ineos Grenadiers team also urged spectators to “give the riders space to race.”
The day following a major pileup that led to several riders withdrawing from the race, the most recent accident occurred when a spectator accidentally touched American rider Sepp Kuss, a key teammate of Vingegaard, causing him to fall.
Fans lining the roads and villages to watch the riders is part of the Tour’s tradition and charm, but many spectators take unnecessary risks, such as running alongside the riders during mountain ascents.
Jumbo-Visma reported that Dylan van Baarle and Nathan van Hooydonck were among the riders who fell during the crash on Sunday. Fortunately, Vingegaard and his close teammates escaped unharmed.
“The team felt quite good today, despite the crash that affected some of my teammates,” Vingegaard commented.
The organizers also requested that fans “pay attention to the riders” following the incident, which did not result in any riders withdrawing from the race.
Two years ago, a spectator waving a large cardboard sign on the path of oncoming riders caused a massive pileup during the opening stage of the Tour de France.
In Sunday’s challenging alpine stage, Dutch veteran Wout Poels secured victory with a solo performance.
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