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Charges Against Tour De France Spectator Who Caused Massive Pile-Up Dropped

(Photo by Anne-Christine Poujoulat/ AFP Getty Images)

Caroline Kucera Contributor
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The Tour de France has retreated and dropped the lawsuit filed against a spectator who caused a massive pile-up during a race last weekend. 

Tour de France Director Christian Pudhomme said the decision was made in hopes of diffusing tension that arose in the days following the crash, Fox News reported. 

“We are withdrawing our complaint,” Prudhomme said Thursday in Reuters. “This story has been blown out of proportion, but we wish to remind everyone of the safety rules on the race.

The fan who caused the commotion has been identified as a 30-year-old French woman. 

On the day of the race, she leaned into the racecourse holding a cardboard sign as cyclist Tony Martin and his teammates crashed into her. Martin’s fall sent dozens of other cyclists crashing to the ground. 

One competitor was taken to hospital with an injured hand, while another finished the stage but withdrew from the competition the next morning after fractures in both arms were revealed, Cycling News reported. Eight other riders were seen by doctors and dozens of others suffered minor injuries.

The spectator fled the scene immediately after the crash. (RELATED: Woman Crashes Bike While Trying To Take A Selfie During Live MSNBC Broadcast)

The spectator has been accused of involuntarily causing injury and faces a fine of more than $1,700, according to Cycling News. She was arrested by police in Brittany, a northwest region of France, on Wednesday. It is unclear whether the woman remains in jail. 

The spectator has faced international criticism on social media for her actions and has forced riders to urge organizers to implement more safety measures. Riders even staged a brief protest during the fourth stage of the race on Tuesday, Fox News reported. 

“If you come to the Tour, you hold your kid, you hold your pet, and don’t cross the road carelessly,” Prudhomme said, according to Reuters. “And above all, you respect the riders – they’re the ones worthy of live TV.”