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 ofthe world’s biggest annual cycling eventrounded off inBoulogne-sur-Mer, located in the north of the France.
sawMathieu 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.
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.
