Sports News

Watch: A fan holding a sign at the Tour de France interfered and caused a massive crash

Once one cyclist fell, many more followed like bowling pins.

The pack rides during the 1st stage of the 108th edition of the Tour de France. Anne-Christine Poujoulat/AFP via Getty Images

By Trevor Hass

June 26, 2021

A fan holding a cardboard sign at the Tour de France impeded the progress of cyclists and caused a major crash during stage 1 of the race Saturday.

According to cyclingnews.com, the incident took place with 45km to go. Once one cyclist fell, many more followed like bowling pins.

The peloton quickly neutralized the stage to allow riders to receive medical treatment, cyclingnews.com reported. According to NBC Sports, Jasha Sütterlin was forced to withdraw as a result of the collision.

Many are describing it as one of the most significant crashes in the history of the event.

Here are a few angles:

A huge crash at #TDF2021 this morning was caused when a spectator held out a sign and struck a rider.

Jasha Sütterlin was forced to withdraw from the race due to an injury sustained in the crash, according to @LeTour. pic.twitter.com/XCcEjHRAGp
— NBC Sports (@NBCSports) June 26, 2021

Première étape du Tour de France, premier crash, premier partisan à blâmer pic.twitter.com/6i3yhBtwv7
— Julien Lamoureux (@julienlamoureux) June 26, 2021