Less than a mile from the finish of the mountainous stage 12 (out of 21 stages), Tour de France leader Chris Froome was involved in a collision with a media motorbike and was forced to complete the race on foot. A two time Tour winner, Froome was not injured in the accident and was allowed by the event’s governing body to maintain his yellow jersey.
It was determined that the accident occurred due to the congestion and enthusiasm of a raucous and encroaching roadside crowd. Allegedly, the motorbike had to halt completely due to an influx of pedestrian traffic in the middle of the road, causing a chain reaction and ultimately damaging Froome’s cycle. Spirited tour fans are notorious for clogging roadways and instigating close encounters with riders verbally and physically. Froome was fined earlier in the race for lashing out at a group of spectators.
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VIDEO: The Chain Reaction Bike Crash