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The Sun
07-07-2025
- Sport
- The Sun
Tour de France fans slammed as ‘disrespectful' after spectators spotted climbing on GRAVES to catch glimpse of the race
TOUR DE FRANCE fans blasted spectators who appeared to stand on GRAVES to catch a glimpse of riders at a vantage point of the race. Stage two of the world's biggest annual cycling event rounded off in Boulogne-sur-Mer, located in the north of the France. 2 2 The race saw Mathieu van der Poel beat Tadej Pogacar in a sprint finish to give the Dutchman the leader's yellow jersey. And some people were so eager to see the drama for themselves, that they seemingly disregarded their surroundings to watch it live. 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. That provoked outrage among many cycling fans, who felt the onlookers showed a lack of respect for the dead. 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. England cricket stars forced to arrive to West Indies Test match on lime bikes amid 'shambles' at The Oval 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. Monday's third stage is a 178km run to Dunkirk, where a mass bunch sprint is expected.


Daily Mail
07-07-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Tour de France fans spark outrage with 'disgraceful' spot they watched the race from
Tour de France fans have expressed their outrage after seeing the vantage point some spectators took to catch a glimpse of the race on Sunday. Stage two of the world's biggest annual cycling event culminated in Boulogne-sur-Mer, located in the north of the country around 25 miles south-west of Calais. The race saw Mathieu van der Poel pip Tadej Pogacar in a sprint finish to give the Dutchman the leader's yellow jersey. Given the drama during the race, it appears that some fans were so eager to see it for themselves that they disregarded their surroundings to be able to watch it live. A clip posted to X, formerly Twitter, shows some fans gathering on the edge of a cemetery to be as near to the action as possible. That provoked outrage among many cycling fans, who felt the onlookers showed a lack of respect by doing so. One user fumed: 'They no longer even see that they're trampling on graves. Not out of hatred, but because they no longer know what respect is. When a people believes in nothing anymore, even the dead become invisible.' A second added: 'The average French person has a simply astounding level of stupidity, [it is] quite frankly embarrassing'. Another said: 'No respect for neither the living nor the dead'. A fourth remarked: 'You have those who go to pay their respects at their loved ones' graves and clean and maintain their tombs once a week or more. 'And you have the disrespectful ones who want to be in the best spot to watch guys on bikes pass by for a few seconds'. However, some were quick to defend the actions of the cycling fans, believing that there may have been space between the graves and the wall.