They climb on graves for a better view: shame on the Tour de France

The Tour de France, like the Giro d’Italia, is always a celebration. But the cyclists’ passage through the municipality of Saint-Étienne-au-Mont (Pas-de-Calais) on Sunday during the second stage of the Grande Boucle was marred by the shameful behavior of dozens of spectators who climbed on graves to get a better view of the peloton.

The atmosphere on Sunday in the Pas-de-Calais was good: the second stage of the Tour enlivened the region. But in Saint-Étienne-au-Mont the incivility of a few dozen spectators spoiled it. Some individuals entered the village cemetery to get a better view of the race, and some even climbed over the graves. The images, which were broadcast live on television, shocked both residents and many users on social media.

The town of 5,000 inhabitants, located 8.5 km from the finish in Boulogne-sur-Mer, was crossed by the peloton at a decisive moment of the stage. The top of the côte de Saint-Étienne-au-Mont (1 km at 10.6 percent), the penultimate marked climb of the route, was right next to the cemetery.

Various families of the deceased, one of whom spoke out Monday in La Voix du Nord, said they were upset after seeing the images.