what would you do if you caused a huge crash in the Tour de France

[AbsolutelyPatsy]

www.independent.co.uk/sport/cycling/tour-de-france-crash-fan-sign-sue-b1873499.html
i know i know it is old news now,

but i think i would flee the country also

If I had the money then first I'd hire a good lawyer & second a good publicist. Then I'd probably think of some sob story that would make people feel a bit sorry for me.
Then I might try and sell my story to make a bit of extra ££ for my legal fees and possibly make use of my 15 minutes of fame by going on I'm a Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here, or Love Island or something. After that I'd form a whole new Instagram career selling random beauty products and pushing things that are 'gifted' to me as a B list influencer.

She was angling her sign so the camera could see better

Which she shouldn't have bloody well done. It's the Tour De France cycle race, not the Tour De Twatty Spectator Homemade Sign Display.

There's no way that she wouldn't have had a sense of the speed of the race coming towards her. She'd have seen the motorbikes, the cars, the police all coming through ahead of the lead riders and they go like stink. Added to that there's the helicopters - it all makes for a frenetic atmosphere, not a picnic by the side of the road. It all goes fast enough to make it actually a bit crap to watch flat stages at the road side, you want to be on a climb really.

So she was spectacularly stupid to do what she did, and they need to pursue her as a warning to others not to behave like that

Shocking that people are making excuses for her because she is a woman.

It wasn’t deliberate, therefore it was a mistake. Caused by the negligence of the organisers and the presence of cameras IMO. She was angling her sign so the camera could see better, and neither she nor the rider noticed how close together they were

I think you fail to understand the difference between stupidity and gross negligence. She wasn't there to watch the race: her back was to them as she played for the cameras. You even fail to acknowledge the damage it causes to the teams and sponsors.

It is physically impossible to police the hundreds of miles that the peloton goes through, it has always required some self policing of the spectators, unfortunetly this is one incident that has broke the camels back, does she deserve the full backlash she has got, probably not, has she got the same response as some in previous years yes, does she deserve to be scapegoated because of her sex and try and pin the blame onto the organisers, no, the only people doing the latter are people who do not understand the sport.

@SallyCinnabon

Here you go

I don't think those were all caused by her actually — there was another big crash near the end.

I think it was a "didn't think" rather than actively malicious, but the consequences were still severe.

The peloton makes a huge racket as they approach. The sound of 360 bike wheels is like nothing else. Not to mention that The fans would be shouting like crazy, after hours of standing by roadside with only caravan trinkets & gradually approaching helicopters.

No-one could fail to notice that the peloton was approaching - as previous posters have said, there’s a bright red lead commissaires car, police outriders, moto commissaires, plus two, sometimes three helicopters. The peloton rides in a group to conserve energy and carry out their race strategy - which doesn’t include some woman getting in the way flapping a massive piece of cardboard. It does self-police to a certain extent but things do seem to be getting worse - the ascent up Alpe d’Huez as they pass Dutch Corner is an absolute free-for-all these days.

Comparing this absolute idiot to rape victims is beyond offensive. What the hell is wrong with you?

I don't think that poster was comparing this to rape victims @FrenchieFromGrease she was making a point about how people often don't react to situations the way they expect. That being in an extraordinary or stressful situation may cause you to behave differently than the way you assumed you would when talking hypothetically.

The trucks are often quite a way before the cyclists.

Has she actually fled or are we speculating? I’d have thought she’d have been surrounded by bicycles- and her mother’s name was on the placard, so it won’t be hard to identify her!

I don’t think she remotely did it maliciously or intentionally. She’s just one of the many fools that go to watch the tour. And some of the cycle fans are the worst.

As my husband said, if they’d been socially distancing they could’ve swerved! (Joke!)

There is no need to bring the reactions of victims of sexual assault into this at all, it's like bringing the Holocaust into a banal discussion; it's a tasteless example.

Honestly, I would have crawled into the ack of my wardrobe (having first binned that bright yellow jacket and phone and bought new glasses). And there I would stay until my hair had become shoulder length.

@FrenchieFromGrease

There is no need to bring the reactions of victims of sexual assault into this at all, it's like bringing the Holocaust into a banal discussion; it's a tasteless example.

Ok you think it's a tasteless example, but it doesn't change the fact that the poster wasn't comparing this woman to a rape victim. You misrepresented that entire post and I was pointing that out. The poster made a valid point, none of us can say with any certainty how we would've reacted. I imagine I would freeze, past experiences (including rape) tell me this...but this is an extraordinary circumstance so who knows.

Whatever the circumstances, if she hasn't handed herself in yet then that in itself is disgraceful.

Idk what I would have done but I can't blame her for hiding. She must be terrified after hearing and reading what everyone thinks of her. I like to think that even if my first instinct was to run, that I'd then call in later and beg for some privacy while justice takes its course.

What a nightmare. Stupid stupid person looking to get her 2 minutes of fame.

I don’t think everyone on this thread has stood at the side of the road as the TDF peloton goes past. Believe me you know it’s coming.

I thought this thread was Gona be " if you caused a crash, what would you have done to cause it?"

And I'd have said "flashed my boobs"! Haha

AbsolutelyPatsy
perhaps she is in hospital?

What happened to her?? 😲

I wouldn’t be able to handle the guilt - best to face the consequences and get it over with. It was a stupid and reckless thing to do.

The noise of the TDF is phenomenal, there is no way it can sneak up on you!

I suspect she has never been to a big bike race before and had absolutely no idea the power of the peloton in full flight. However, it is clear that she caused that accident and she should have the guts to own up to it. The longer she leaves it the worse it will be for her, she is lucky no one was badly hurt.

Unfortunately there has been a growing problem with people taking selfies with their back to the oncoming peloton, and there have been several accidents and many near misses (see also loose dogs). I'm afraid that unless people are seen to be punished for this others will not taken this seriously.

It is a pity that in the current climate she will get a lot of abuse online, which could well be what is frightening her the most.

TBH I'm amazed that none of her friends or acquaintances have dobbed her in yet.

I don’t think everyone on this thread has stood at the side of the road as the TDF peloton goes past. Believe me you know it’s coming.

Exactly, some people are trying to shoe horn a sexism angle into this, the tour caravan is huge and on stages like this at least 30 mins before the police bikes etc run through, the best I can muster is it his her first tour, and if it is her first then she shouldn't really be trying her hardest to get on camera and face away from the peloton, the outcry isn't because of a stupid fan, it's because of a stupid bystander wanting a bit of tv time whilst obviously not understanding the sport that she went to view.

@Theunamedcat

She wasn't even looking i dont think it was intended

Why are they planning on suing her for what? Fucking stupidity isn't a crime in France is it?

Suing her would be a civil claim, not a claim that she's committed a crime.

Though ISTR reading the France does indeed have a crime on its statute books that would potentially cover this.

@ChateauMargaux

Its not the first crash that has been caused by someone other than a rider... but it is the first woman and she is being hung out to dry. There have been motorcyclists, TV cameramen, support car drivers, a policeman taking a photo... none of these people have been prosecuted.

I might be wrong... but it feels a little misogynistic.. and yes... I totally accept that this was an horrific accident, possibly one of the biggest and I might be just seeing offense where in this case it is not motivated by ingrained misogyny.

"There have been motorcyclists, TV cameramen, support car drivers, a policeman taking a photo". All of those people had legitimate cause to be on the roadway where the race was taking place. She did not. Spectators who cause crashes or otherwise interfere with the race are prosecuted.

It is stupid but no one died. Not sure it warrants a criminal record. Its all about sodding money.

The thing is someone in the race knows who she is as her sign said nanny and grandad, whatever that meant I am sure someone knows.