“It was a great afternoon of the Tour de France, partying, meeting people, cycling enthusiasts until this stupid gesture.” Alexis, a thirty-something from Brittany, was located very close to the arch indicating the finish two kilometers away during this Saturday’s stage arriving in Saint-Lary-Soulan Pla d’Adet (Hautes-Pyrénées).
Except that his day of celebration with his two friends was somewhat tarnished by the gesture of the spectator located in front of him, on the other side of the road. This other young man, with whom he had become friends in the afternoon, deliberately threw chips in the faces of Tadej Pogacar (UAE Emirates) and Jonas Vingegaard (Visma Lease a bike), when they passed in front of him.
An image that was captured by the television cameras that follow the two champions and quickly made the rounds on social networks, scandalizing many Internet users. The CPA, the riders’ union, announced, through its president, Adam Hamsem, that it would take legal action against the author of this gesture. At the finish, Vingegaard, double title holder, said he did not “understand those who go to a bike race to throw chips”.
Arrested by a police officer who saw the scene
A misunderstanding that is also shared by Alexis, who realized after the runners had passed that he had immortalized this moment in a series of photos. Before seeing the indignation on social networks.
“He was with a group of very nice friends, cycling fans, like us. We got to know each other well, talked about everything, cycling, Brittany and played shuffleboard,” says the young man. “But he had a very drunken afternoon.” According to Alexis, a police officer who was stationed nearby and who saw the scene intervened immediately after the gesture against the leader of Visma. With a hat on his head, bare-chested and the flag of Brittany, he only saw these two riders at most.
“He pushed him off the road quite abruptly and a police car arrived behind the barriers to take him away less than five minutes later,” continues the witness, who “does not understand why he did that.” When contacted, ASO, the Tour organizer, did not respond.
According to him, alcohol could be the main reason for this attitude which could have had significant consequences on the riders. “The gesture did not seem premeditated. After the riders had passed, his friends were surprised. They were clearly not at their first Tour but it was the first time he had done something stupid like that.” The group of friends who wondered how they were going to get their loved one back with their inappropriate behavior.
In the meantime, Alexis and his two friends, who were impressed by Pogacar’s performance, must return to the Rennes region (Ille-et-Vilaine), where the disrespectful spectator also came from. “We are cycle tourists, we were able to climb a few passes in the Pyrenees in recent days, it was nice,” he concludes. More pleasant than having witnessed this unfortunate gesture.
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