• A judicial investigation has been opened against the spectator at the origin of violent falls on Saturday on the Tour de France. 

  • This spectator, who had brandished a banner back to the peloton, remains nowhere to be found. 

The spectator at fault still untraceable.

While the Tour de France started Sunday for the 2nd stage between Perros-Guirec and Mûr-de-Bretagne, the gendarmerie announced on Sunday the opening of a judicial investigation against the spectator which caused a huge fall on Saturday.

She was waving a sign with her back to the direction of travel.

Hit by the peloton, it had caused the fall of many runners 45 km from the finish.

The two big collective falls of the first stage of the Tour de France did not cause any serious injury among the public massed by the roadsides, the gendarmerie confirmed to AFP on Sunday.

Call for witnesses launched

A call for witnesses was launched to find her and a judicial investigation opened for "involuntary injuries with incapacity not exceeding three months by manifestly deliberate violation of an obligation of safety or prudence", specified the gendarmerie of Finistère on Facebook .

"The major issue on the Tour remains road safety, it was demonstrated yesterday", explained Lieutenant-Colonel Joël Scherer.

But "I can confirm that there are no injuries in the public", continued the liaison officer of the direction of the gendarmerie with ASO, the organizer of the Tour.

A second fall occurred a few kilometers later, again throwing many runners to the ground.

During the second stage on Sunday, prevention messages will continue to be broadcast by four dedicated vehicles within the caravan.

"As they pass, they will remind people, so that they always stay off the road, that they do not throw themselves to pick up a goodie and that they retain their children," detailed Lieutenant-Colonel Scherer.

"The heroes are the runners, not the people who come to pass a message with a sign to go on TV," he said, while conceding that the incident on Saturday was the result of a " individual behavior ”.

Some 500 gendarmes will be spread over the course of the second stage.

Over the entire Tour, they will be 14,000 to secure the race.

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