Cyclists Fuming Over Dangerous Tour De France Selfies
— -- Eager spectators at the Tour de France pose an unexpected problem for cyclists -- selfies.
Cyclists say it's dangerous when fans turn their backs away from the speeding bikes to take the snapshots. Tejay van Garderen, an American who's competing in the race for the BMC Racing Team, tweeted that he had already been hurt because of crowds eager to get a photo.
"Standing [in] the middle of the road with [your] back turned while 200 cyclists come at you, just to take a selfie," he tweeted on Sunday. "That being said, I love the crowds and thank you for your support. But please give us room. Gonna ice my knee now."
5 Things to Know as the Tour De France Hits London
Another cyclist, Geraint Thomas, a Briton racing for Team Sky, called the social media snapshots a "pain in the backside," according to BBC News.
"The worst thing is when people have got their backs to the peloton taking selfies," he said. "They obviously don't see us coming and they stood in the road a bit, which is a bit dodgy."
"If you want to do that just stand on a wall or something, away from us," Thomas added.
The race began on Saturday in Britain and moves to France on Tuesday, running through July 27 and finishing in Paris.
Fans, you've been warned. But it hasn't stopped some onlookers from taking these selfies:
