Tour de France Crash Suspect May Have Fled The Country

Authorities in France believe that the woman responsible for causing a massive crash during the first stage of the Tour de France has fled the country. The unidentified woman is facing criminal charges and a lawsuit from the cycling organization.

On Saturday, the woman was standing near the side of the road holding a large sign that struck cyclist Tony Martin as he rode past. He fell off his bike, sparking a chain reaction crash that sent dozens of rides sprawling across the pavement.

The woman fled the scene before authorities arrived and is believed to have traveled to Germany.

That was the first of several crashes during the early stages of the Tour de France. On Tuesday (June 29), riders halted the race for a full minute to protest the unsafe conditions. Their biggest issue was with the final five kilometers of the Third Stage, which featured narrow, winding roads just before the finish line.

The riders had requested for the Stage 3 timings to end with five kilometers left to avoid racers jockeying for position down the stretch, but that request was denied. Riders blamed that denial on a significant pile-up in the final three kilometers of the stage.

The cyclists' union blasted the decision in a statement and called for rule changes to prevent more crashes in the future.

"Following the crashes during the third stage of the Tour de France, the riders have been discussing how they wish to proceed to show their dissatisfaction with safety measures in place and demand their concerns are taken seriously. Their frustration about foreseeable and preventable action is enormous," the union wrote.

"The riders wish to stress their respect for their sponsors, their sports groups, the organizer, their international institution. Supporters are very important to them – and this is why they will be riding today," the statement continued. "In return, the riders of the Tour de France ask for the same respect – respect for their safety."