The Tour de France took an unexpected turn when a fan who was trying to take a selfie with one of the riders caused a massive collision.
Maxi crash at the Tour de France caused by a roadside person who was filming with his phone.
— Procyclinglover (@procyclinglover) July 16, 2023
Crash seen in slow motion. #TDF2023 pic.twitter.com/qAbxycQSBf
About 32 miles into the 15th stage of the race, a spectator mistakenly bumped into U.S. cyclist Sepp Kuss while attempting to capture a photo.
This encounter led to a chain reaction, resulting in numerous riders falling and creating a roadblock for those behind them. Thankfully, there were no major injuries sustained.
Kuss explained that there were many people gathered along the road, and sometimes these incidents happen as fans may not fully grasp the situation.
Tour de France spectator causes a huge crash in the peloton!#TDF2023 📺: Peacock pic.twitter.com/USu6eUO0o1
— NBC Sports Cycling (@NBCSCycling) July 16, 2023
Jonan Vigegaard, the race leader, kindly reminded spectators to exercise caution while spectating. He asked them to enjoy the race and support the participants without obstructing the path or causing any harm.
He also emphasized the importance of being mindful so that both racers and spectators can have a memorable experience without relying solely on their phones to capture it.
Première étape du Tour de France, premier crash, premier partisan à blâmer pic.twitter.com/6i3yhBtwv7
— Julien Lamoureux (@julienlamoureux) June 26, 2021
The cyclist involved in the crash, Kuss, revealed that exhaustion played a role in the incident.
As the race had been incredibly demanding and everyone was feeling fatigued, his alertness may have slightly diminished.
Additionally, he acknowledged that some occurrences were simply out of his control, such as the narrowing of the road and the fan unintentionally impeding his handlebars.
This incident brought back memories of a similar mishap in 2021. Another fan inadvertently caused a pileup by posing for a camera with a cardboard sign, resulting in the entire group of cyclists crashing.