SAINT-GERVAIS MONT-BLANC, France: Tour de France overall leader Jonas Vingegaard is calling on fans to behave better at cycling’s biggest race after another mass crash marred the 15th stage on Sunday.
“I’d like to tell the spectators to enjoy the race and be there to cheer for us without standing on the road or pouring beers on us,” Vingegaard said. “Please, just enjoy the race.”
The Danish rider leads Tadej Pogacar of Slovenia by only 10 seconds with the race about to enter its final week.
The incident, which involved around two dozen riders, led to appeals from several teams at the Tour.
“Please be careful. So that the party remains a party for the riders, but also for you. You don’t need a cell phone to create mind-blowing memories,” the Cofidis team said amid unverified reports that the spectator who caused the crash was taking a selfie.
The Ineos Grenadiers team said “please give the riders room to race.”
A day after a big pileup forced several riders to abandon, the latest accident occurred after 52 kilometers (32 miles) when a spectator on the side of the road inadvertently touched American rider Sepp Kuss — a key teammate of Vingegaard — and sent him to the ground.
Fans gathering on the sides of roads and in villages as riders pass by is part of the tradition — and charm — of the Tour, but many spectators can take too many risks, including when they run alongside riders in mountain ascents.
Jumbo-Visma said Dylan van Baarle and Nathan van Hooydonck were among those who hit the tarmac on Sunday. Vingegaard was riding close to his teammates but escaped unscathed.
“The team felt pretty good today, although we of course had this crash that affected some of my teammates,” Vingegaard said.
Organizers also asked fans to “pay attention to the riders” after the incident which did not lead to any withdrawals.
Two years ago, a spectator brandishing a large cardboard sign while leaning into the path of oncoming riders led to a massive pileup during the opening stage.
Dutch veteran Wout Poels soloed to victory Sunday after the tough trek in the Alps.
Tour de France teams ask fans to behave better after mass pileup in 15th stage
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Tour de France teams ask fans to behave better after mass pileup in 15th stage
- The Danish rider leads Tadej Pogacar of Slovenia by only 10 seconds with the race about to enter its final week
LIV Golf signs new broadcast deals in key European markets
- Multiyear agreement means Viaplay Group will screen all events to viewers in Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Iceland and Finland
- Separate deal reached for coverage in the UK and Ireland on TNT Sports and the Discovery+ streaming services
LONDON: Viaplay Group signed a new multiyear agreement on Friday to broadcast LIV Golf across the Nordic region, bringing coverage of the global golf league to viewers in Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Iceland and Finland.
Coverage begins this week as the 2026 season gets underway with the LIV Golf Promotions event in Florida from Jan. 9 to 11, where 87 players will compete for three wild card spots. The season proper starts in Saudi Arabia with the ROSHN Group LIV Golf Riyadh tournament from Feb. 4 to 7.
The 2026 season will feature 14 events in 10 countries, including Australia, Hong Kong, Singapore, Mexico, the US, the UK and South Africa.
Peter Norrelund, executive vice president and chief sports and business development officer at Viaplay, said the company had been keeping an eye on LIV Golf since its inception.
“The quality of players on LIV Golf is truly exceptional,” he said. “Since we first broadcast LIV Golf events in 2022, we have followed the league’s development closely and we are very pleased to welcome LIV Golf back to Viaplay.
“The league has continued to evolve, both in terms of sporting level and global appeal, and it offers a distinctive, high-intensity format featuring some of the biggest names in world golf. With LIV Golf returning to our platforms, viewers can look forward to hundreds of additional hours of world-class live golf throughout the season.”
Orjan Olsson, senior vice president of international media rights at LIV Golf, said the league was pleased to be working with Viaplay once again.
“Through Viaplay’s long-standing commitment to delivering premium sports content, golf fans and audiences can expect inside-the-ropes access to elite global stars and emerging golf talent across the game’s most dynamic competition format,” he said.
“Together, we will continue to deliver golf fans access to the sport’s most compelling individual and team storylines, defined by intense rivalries and season-long drama.”
LIV Golf has also signed a new multiyear broadcast agreement with TNT Sports for the UK and Ireland, where all 14 events will be shown live on TNT Sports and the Discovery+ streaming service.
TNT Sports, which is owned by Warner Bros Discovery, plans to provide on-site presentation throughout the season. It takes over from free-to-air UK broadcaster ITV, which covered the 2025 LIV Golf season primarily on its ITVX streaming service.
The 2026 season marks a major change for LIV Golf, as all tournaments will be played over 72 holes instead of the previous 54-hole format. The change has been made so that players can earn official world-ranking points.
