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The 2021 Tour de France Stage 1 saw one of the scariest crashes in the history of the cycling event. There were two crashes in stage one of the 2021 Tour de France. However, it was the first crash which has grabbed the attention of the whole cycling community.
The crash happened around the 198km mark and was caused by a fan holding a placard reading 'Allez Opi-Omi'. The second crash came with around seven kilometers of the race left.
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The 2021 edition's Grand Depart kicked off in Brest, Brittany. The 197.8km stretch, which ended in Landerneau, witnessed two major crashes. The fan's placard knocked down Tony Martin of Team Jumbo-Vimsa and most of the peloton followed. Almost 21 documented riders were injured in the crash.
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2021 Tour de France: Spectator who caused Stage 1 crash wanted by authorities
The following day, it was announced that the fan who caused the first crash of the 2021 Tour de France during Stage 1 of the cycling event was now wanted by the authorities for fleeing the scene of the accident. Tour de France race deputy director Pierre-Yves Thouault told AFP:
"We are suing this woman who behaved so badly. We are doing this so that the tiny minority of people who do this don't spoil the show for everyone."
Team Jumbo-Visma rider Tony Martin said in a team press release:
“We had everything under control until the crash. I brought the guys to the front via the right side of the road, but crashed into the sign of the spectator. It all happened very quickly; suddenly almost the entire team was on the ground. Many spectators behave respectfully. Unfortunately, not this one. Fortunately, Primoz came through it well. I hope the physical damage to myself and the other guys is manageable.”
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While Team Deceuninck–Quick-Step's Julian Alaphilippe won the opening stage of the 2021 Tour de France, Dutchman Mathieu van der Poel, the talented grandson of Tour de France legend, Raymond Poulidor, won the second stage of the 2021 Tour de France.
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Defending champion of the 2020 Tour de France, Tadej Pogacar, and runners-up from last year, Primoz Roglic, continued their great form to keep their hopes of winning the overall winner in general classification alive at the end of stage two.
After winning the yellow jersey at the end of stage one, Alaphilippe was quoted by Reuters as saying:
"I really wanted to win this stage, my [Deceuninck-Quick Step] team believed in me and protected me all day long, I had to finish it off in the last ascent."
Speaking to AFP, Van der Poel spoke about Poulidor, who died in 2019 at the age of 83.
“Imagine how he’d feel, he’s not here. This was my last chance on the Tour to do it, it’s so good.”
