The CPA pro cyclists union is seeking €1 in compensation from the fan who caused the large crashed on the opening stage of the Tour de France this year.
The woman stepped into the road with a sign that read ‘Go
Opi-Omi’ – a greeting for her grandparents in a mix of French and German. She
had her back to the riders and was hit the Tony Martin (Jumbo Visma), causing a
significant crash.
The 31-year-old woman, who lives in Finistère, will go on
trial on Thursday. She is being prosecuted for “endangering others” and on a
charge of “involuntary injuries” resulting in incapacity from work “not
exceeding three months”.
If convicted, she faces a fine of up to €15,000 and a
one-year prison sentence arising from the crash she caused on stage 1 of the
Tour on June 26th.
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The CPA has issued a statement saying the prosecution
would go ahead on the same day the route for Tour de France 2022 was being unveiled
and the “rebirth of the Tour de Femmes
will be celebrated”.
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It said the woman
clearly did not intend to cause a crash, adding it was seeking a symbolic €1 in
compensation in the hopes the same type if incident, caused by a spectator,
would not happen again.
“We are sure that the spectator did not intentionally want to harm anyone, but with her carelessness she compromised the health and the season of more than one of our members,” said CPA president Gianni Bugno.
“The one euro compensation we have asked for does not pay for the fracture of both arms of Marc Soler nor for the consequences suffered by Tony Martin and the other riders who ended up on the ground, but it has a symbolic value.”
The riders’ union added: “With this gesture the CPA wants to draw attention to a responsible and respectful attitude towards riders in the performance of their profession.
"Fans, but more generally all those who pass them while they are training or competing, must behave appropriately. The images of the 'fan in yellow' have gone around the world and should be a warning that such episodes will never happen again.”
