​Fan Causes Huge Pile-Up In One Of Worst Tour De France Crashes Ever Seen

Aerial footage of the incident was shared on social media, including by one user called @cyclingreporter, who wrote: "The worst Tour de France crash I've ever seen."

A clip filmed from a closer angle showed what happened in more detail, having captured how a spectator on the side of the road had prompted the terrifying pile-up, having stepped onto the road to try and get on camera.

The anonymous cycling fan, who was wearing a bright yellow coat, can be seen holding a large cardboard sign that said 'ALLEZ OPI-OMI!', which translates as 'Go Grandpa and Grandma!'.

They held it out and looked upwards, presumably in an attempt to get seen by the race's aerial camera - seemingly completely oblivious to the fast-approaching action behind them.

As the competitors came whizzing towards them, Martin's path was obstructed and he had no choice but to crash into the fan, before the cyclist to his left came crashing down onto him.

Many others ground to a halt, briefly stopping the race as those caught up in the accident tried to gather themselves.

Only a few riders were able to avoid the crash, including Dutch cyclist Ide Schelling.

Teams later took to Twitter to ask fans to avoid obstructing the route.

A later update from the Guardian said Martin stopped to get a new bike, and thankfully looked okay - although had 'blood on his arms'.

However, German rider Jasha Sütterlin ended up having to abandon the race after being involved in the crash.