Pile-ups caused by fans a problem for Tour de France, but not a new one

Competition’s status as an open-access spectacle has led to a long, inglorious history of spectators getting in the way

On Saturday morning, hardcore fans of Thibaut Pinot assembled in the Vosges for their idol’s final mountain stage of his final Tour. One group of ultras posted a list of dos and don’ts on social media. Don’t use smoke bombs. Don’t run alongside the riders. Brandish signs at the side of the road rather than in it, so they don’t get in the way of the cyclists. No insults or shouts. Pick up your litter.

The list had extra relevance in a week when the fans’ behaviour on the roadside at the Tour, and their interaction with the Tour caravan and the riders, made headlines. The previous Saturday, two motorbikes were banned for a day after they were unable to get through the fans on the Col de Joux Plane, the blockage causing Tadej Pogacar to stall as he attacked Jonas Vingegaard. The following day, a fan with a mobile phone caused a mass pile-up in the Alps. On Wednesday another motorbike was penalised after blocking the race on the Col de la Loze, holding up Pinot and his mate David Gaudu to their understandable disgust. After another incident on the climb, the Basque Pello Bilbao received a formal warning for punching a fan who had encroached on his personal space.