Idiotic Fan Taking Selfie Causes Massive Crash At Tour De France

There isn’t a single event in the world of professional cycling that comes close to matching the prestige of the Tour de France, which has been the sport’s premier race since it was first held all the way back in 1903.

Competitors have to grapple with a number of major hurdles over the course of the 21 stages that will take them through the countryside, high into the mountains that comprise the Pyrenees, and into the heart of Paris over the course of the approximately 3,500 kilometers that comprise the Tour de France.

However, there are also plenty of other hazards they risk falling victim to during the hallowed race.

Plenty of cyclists have succumbed to some pretty gnarly injuries after crashing through no one’s fault but their own, but they also need to be careful to avoid making contact with other members of the peloton while jockeying for position as well as one potential peril that lines the bulk of the course: the spectators.

Most people who go out of their way to attend the Tour de France in person know not to violate the cardinal rule of doing so: “Don’t interfere with the race.”

Unfortunately, not everyone can follow that pretty simple guideline—including one attention-seeking attendee who ended up going on the lam in 2021 after holding up a sign and subsequently causing what is considered the worst crash in the history of the race (the unidentified woman was ultimately given a suspended sentence after being apprehended).

Now, we have yet another fan-related controversy on our hands courtesy of what transpired during Stage 15 on Sunday, which was marred by what unfolded around 50 KM into the 179-KM trial that spanned from Les Gets les Portes du Soleil to Saint-Gervais Mont-Blanc.

According to the BBC, around 20 riders suffered a setback after Sepp Kuss of Team Jumbo-Visma was knocked to the pavement courtesy of a fan who appeared to be leaning over the barriers to take a selfie before colliding with the American and sparking a chain reaction that temporarily crippled a solid chunk of the peloton.

Kuss and the rest of the impacted cyclists were luckily able to escape without any serious injuries, but his team and the Tour de France itself used the incident as an excuse to remind fans to be on their best behavior.

Here’s to hoping they’ll be able to do exactly that by the time it wraps up on July 23rd.