Two serious crashes marred the first day of the Tour de France, starting with a fan knocking down a huge swath of the peloton.
A spectator, appearing to wave a sign with their back turned to the race, knocked down German cyclist Tony Martin, setting off an enormous crash. Several contenders, including Primoz Roglic, went down. So far, only Jasha Sutterlin of Germany has pulled out of the Tour with injuries from the incident.
Odd crashes are nothing new at the Tour, and a more normal one struck the race near the end of the first stage, as a large pack wiped out with eight kilometers left. Great Britain’s Chris Froome, among others, was tangled up in that one.
