The Tour de France has been repeatedly overshadowed by incidents involving spectators this year. On the 17th stage, Pello Bilbao slapped at an intrusive fan, for which he gets a rebuke from the stewards.
The Basque professional cyclist Pelle Bilbao from Team Bahrain Victorious has received an official warning from the commissioners of the International Cycling Union UCI. The 33-year-old hit a spectator on the queen stage of the Tour de France on Wednesday on the way to Col de la Loze.
TV pictures showed the incident on the Alpine stage. As Bilbao was on their way to the highest mountain of this year’s tour alongside Chris Haper and David Gaudu, a spectator ran in their way. Bilbao responded with a clear hand movement in the direction of the approaching fan. Neither drivers nor spectators were harmed, Bilbao did not catch the “stalker”.
After the finish line, the cycling commissioners rated this as “inappropriate behavior towards a spectator”. He received an official warning. There was no monetary or sporting penalty.
Again and again fan problems at the Tour de France
Bilbao finished the stage in third place behind Simon Yates and Austrian winner Felix Gall. He is sixth in the overall standings. The Basque had won the 10th stage of the tour and dedicated it to the late Swiss professional cyclist Gino Mäder.
On the 15th stage on Sunday, a fan tried to take a selfie and caused a mass fall. He caught Vingegaard’s precious helper Sepp Kuss. He fell, cleared his teammate Nathan van Hooydonck and triggered a massive mass crash.
The Belgian top driver Wout van Aert reported that the way back after the mountain finish at the Col du Grand Colombier last Friday between the drunken fans was “actually life-threatening”.