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Tour de France fans slammed for ‘disrespectful' grave act

Tour de France fans slammed for ‘disrespectful' grave act

News.com.aua day ago
Tour de France fans have blasted spectators who appeared to stand on graves to catch a glimpse of riders at the race.
Stage two of the world's biggest annual cycling event rounded off in Boulogne-sur-Mer, in the north of the France.
The race saw Mathieu van der Poel beat Tadej Pogacar in a sprint finish to give the Dutchman the leader's yellow jersey.
Watch the biggest Aussie sports & the best from overseas LIVE on Kayo Sports | New to Kayo? Get your first month for just $1. Limited time offer.
With 8.6km remaining until the finish line, fans gathered on the edge of a cemetery to be as near the action as possible on Sunday.
Hundreds of people seemed to trample on graves along the side of the road, behind advertising boards, The Sun reports.
You can watch the disturbing footage in the player at the top of the page.
That provoked outrage among many cycling fans, who felt the onlookers showed a lack of respect.
One fan wrote on X: 'They no longer even see that they're standing on graves. Not out of hatred, but because they no longer know what respect is.'
A second said: 'No respect for neither the living nor the dead.'
A third added: 'This is so disrespectful. I hope they're standing on ground between the graves and the road.'
A local said: 'It's shameful to the people of my town.'
Two-time champion Jonas Vingegaard finished third behind reigning champion Pogacar, while Britain's Oscar Onley crossed the line in sixth.
Earlier on Sunday, French team Cofidis said that 11 bikes were stolen from their team truck after the opening stage.
In a statement, the team said that the door of their equipment truck was forced open, and their Look bikes were taken 'despite the security measures put in place'.
Each bike stolen is estimated to be worth around £11,200.
All riders at the Tour generally have at least three bikes - their preferred one and two spares.
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He briefly distanced Vingegaard, who was the only man who could follow, and took the points, before the Dane got back onto his wheel. Remco Evenepoel dragged a handful of riders back across to the leading pair on the descent into Rouen, Van der Poel among them, but there would be no beating the world champion to victory. "I think today I got very, very close to the limit," Pogacar said. "I tried with an attack on the last climb and then Jonas followed me and everything came together. "To win at the Tour is incredible, to do it in this jersey even more so and to win 100 victories is amazing. "Tomorrow is the real test. Already to win a stage in this jersey for me it's enough. Of course we aim for yellow and we will see." Evenepoel conceded another three seconds to Pogacar and Vingegaard, leaving him 58 seconds off yellow, while Primoz Roglic lost 32 seconds to fall one minute 27 seconds down. Tadej Pogacar has claimed the 100th victory of his professional career to move level on time with Mathieu van der Poel in the yellow jersey on a thrilling stage four of the Tour de France in Rouen. In the hometown of the Tour's first five-time winner Jacques Anquetil, Pogacar took a stride to what he hopes will be his fourth title with a show of strength on another classics-style stage, beating Van der Poel and his great rival Jonas Vingegaard in an uphill sprint. It was Pogacar's 18th career Tour stage win and one that put him on the same time as Van der Poel - who retains yellow on countback - with Vingegaard eight seconds back going into Wednesday's time trial. Jack Haig (Bahrain-Victorious) was the highest placed Australian, finishing 39 seconds behind in 28th while Ben O'Connor (Jayco AlUla), still seeming troubled by Monday's crash, lost another 1:49. He is now 2:36 adrift on GC with Haig six places ahead in 23rd, 2:05 behind the leaders. 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