BREST, France – A young woman who caused a massive fall of runners by holding up a sign in June, during the Tour de France, was sentenced Thursday to a fine of 1,200 euros by the criminal court.
The criminal court of Brest (western France) thus found her guilty of “endangering others” and “involuntary injuries”.
The 31-year-old young woman will also have to pay a symbolic euro to the National Union of Professional Cyclists (UNCP), a civil party.
During his trial on October 14, the prosecution had requested a symbolic four-month suspended prison sentence.
On June 26, in the town of Sizun (West), 45 km from the finish of the first stage of the Tour, this resident of Finistère had brandished a sign by encroaching on the roadway, with her back to the peloton.
“Go opi-omi! – grandpa-grandma in German, her grandmother being of German origin – she had written in large letters on a piece of cardboard addressed to her grandparents, living in Paris and unconditional fans of the Grande Boucle .
Several runners, launched at high speed, had not been able to avoid it. The German Tony Martin, the first to fall, had involved in his fall many other cyclists. Several riders had been forced to retire, including the German Jasha Sütterlin (DSM) and the Spaniard Marc Soler (Movistar).
The images of the fall of the runners, had gone around the world, unleashing strong media interest while it remained untraceable.
Four days after the events, the young woman went to the gendarmerie in charge of the investigation, no longer supporting the media pressure.
