Tour de France organizer ‘shocked and saddened’ by shooting incident in Copenhagen
The French grand tour has spent the last three days racing in Denmark with the first stage starting in Copenhagen.
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SØNDERBORG, Denmark (VN) — The organizer of the Tour de France, ASO, has said it is “shocked and saddened” by a shooting incident in Copenhagen that has claimed the lives of several people.
According to the BBC, local police have confirmed that a 22-year-old man has been arrested in connection to the shooting at the Field’s shopping mall in the Danish capital. Police chief Soeren Thomassen said that the motive for the shooting was unclear, but that terrorism had not been ruled out.
Denmark has played host to the Tour de France’s grand départ this week with the opening stage taking place in Copenhagen. The mall where the shooting took place is less than a kilometer away from the Bella Centre, where the Tour de France headquarters based itself in the days leading up to the race.
“The Tour de France assures the Danish people of its sympathy and compassion in this time. The Tour is extremely shocked and saddened to hear of what has happened in Copenhagen,” a statement issued by ASO said.
“The people of Copenhagen had given the peloton one of the greatest welcomes in the sport’s history, forging deep bonds with all its followers. The entire caravan of the Tour de France sends its sincerest condolences to the victims and their families.”
The final Danish stage of the Tour de France took place Sunday with a with a 182km stage from Vejle to Sønderberg. The race is moving to France on Sunday evening ahead of the fourth stage, which starts in Dunkirk.