The Tour de France has withdrawn a lawsuit against the spectator that caused a massive crash during Stage 1 of this year's iconic race, according to Reuters. After being arrested on Wednesday, the 30-year old French woman was in custody at a police station in the Brittany region of France.
"We are withdrawing our complaint," Tour director Christian Prudhomme said in a statement. "This story has been blown out of proportion, but we wish to remind everyone of the safety rules on the race. If you come to the Tour, you hold your kid, you hold your pet and don't cross the road carelessly. And above all, you respect the riders -- they're the ones worthy of live TV."
The fan, whose identity has still not been released to the public, stuck out a sign that read "Allez Opi-Omi" (which is French and German for "Go Grandpa-Grandma") during the race and a rider crashed into the cardboard, causing mayhem.
The crash occurred in the opening stage of the Tour de France, as rider were trekking from Brest to Landerneau, and the fan that caused the crash appeared to not be looking at the course. The fan's sign hit veteran cyclist Tony Martin, who first fell, causing others to fall as well. Jasha Sutterlin of Germany had to forfeit following the crash.
Following the crash, the fan fled the scene. Shortly thereafter, the Tour launched legal proceedings against the fan.
Here's a look at the entire incident:
A huge crash at #TDF2021 this morning was caused when a spectator held out a sign and struck a rider.
— NBC Sports (@NBCSports) June 26, 2021
Jasha Sütterlin was forced to withdraw from the race due to an injury sustained in the crash, according to @LeTour. pic.twitter.com/XCcEjHRAGp
The incident was investigated by local authorities, and that investigation included questioning other fans who were at the event and witnessed what happened.
Authorities found the fan based on what they referred to as "solid" accounts from those who were questioned.
