Crash and fall: Tour de France's 1st stage off to catastrophic start

Not one but two mass falls made for a rough start for this year's Tour de France.

UAE Team Emirates rider Marc Hirschi of Switzerland lies in a ditch after one of the crashes, June 26, 2021.

While mass falls are nothing new to the Tour de France, no one expected two on the very same day.

Riders race by a boat during the first Stage from Brest to Landerneau.

About 20 riders lay stricken and needed attention shortly after a first mass fall, including four-time champion Chris Froome.

B&B Hotels p/b KTM rider Cyril Lemoine of France receives medical attention, June 26, 2021.

Unlike the earlier crash caused by a fan, the second came as the peloton was going around 70 kph (43.45 mph), some 5 kilometers from the finish line.

The first fall happened some 45 kilometers away from the finish line of stage one of the Tour between Brest and Landerneau.

A fan a bit too eager to be seen on TV brandished a sign that brought down German rider Tony Martin, who was leading the pack, close to excited roadside spectators.

The race leader slowed down to allow the stragglers to catch up and despite the spectacular tangle only one rider, Germany's Jasha Sutterlin of DSM, has so far had to pull out due to the accident.

Riders evaluate their injuries after their fall.

Alpecin–Fenix rider Kristian Sbaragli of Italy looks at the aftermath of the crash with blood still on his face.