Lilian Calmejan has been taken out in a crash at the Tour de France - though is thankfully able to continue in the race. An over-excited fan launched a clothes line into the peloton as the Intermarché-Circus-Wanty passed with about 150km remaining on today's stage 9 to Puy de Dôme.
The clothes line had been erected as a roadside display as the race enters the region Raymond Poulidor was from. Poulidor - Mathieu van der Poel's grandfather - is regarded as one of the best cyclists never to have won the Tour, though he was 2nd in the race three times.
Two years ago, Van der Poel's team wore a jersey in tribute to Poulidor, based on the purple and yellow livery of the former great's Mercier team. The fan who caused the crash today had erected a clothes line roadside today with similar jerseys hanging from it.
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When the race passed his perch by the road, the fan began frantically waving the clothes line around. However, the line and jerseys on it then flew into the road and took down Calmejan, who vented his anger at the fan. Luckily for all involved, Calmejan was able to untangle the clothes line and get back on his bike.
