The drunken Tour de France spectator who threw chips at Tadej Pogačar and Jonas Vingegaard during stage 14 of the Tour de France has been released from police custody but faces legal action from the French cyclists’ federation UNCP, which is part of the CPA.
The ‘fan’ or ‘chips guy’, as Tadej Pogačar called him, was photographed throwing a handful of chips or crisps at the Tour de France race leader and then at Jonas Vingegaard as they rode individually to the finish at Pla d’Adet on Saturday.
Despite calls from the CPA and race organizers to respect cyclists, the number of cycling hooligans appears to be increasing.
On Sunday, Pogačar almost got his shoe stuck in his wheel after a fan ran alongside the riders and tripped. Another fan was kicked by a more conscientious fan on the side of the road after he got between Pogačar and the race director’s car.
“The ‘chips guy’ crossed the finish line, that was too much. It was not a nice experience,” said Pogačar on the second rest day on Monday.
“At first I thought he was celebrating and the chips were flying. Then I saw the video of what he did to me and then to Jonas. It was just really, really stupid.”
The “chip guy” was quickly arrested on Saturday and reportedly spent the night in a French prison to sober up. According to the AFP news agency after the drivers and their teams decided not to press charges.
However, CPA President Adam Hansen confirmed Cycling news that the French cycling federation UNCP would bring charges on behalf of the CPA, as it did after a person was seen throwing a cap at Mathieu van der Poel’s bike during the Paris-Roubaix race. This person claimed that no danger was intended.
“The CPA will happily take legal action against this guy for what he did to both Pogacar and Vingegaard. This is disrespectful and will not be tolerated,” Hanon quickly wrote on social media over the weekend.
“We have information that the gendarmerie has already found and arrested the man who committed this crime and spent last night in prison,”
“We thank the gendarmerie for their quick and great work and this is a sign not to do this to cyclists. Please behave responsibly and respect cyclists.”
