Nibali to meet French prosecutors over Tour de France crash
The Italian crashed out of the Tour de France after getting tangled up with a fan on the Alpe d'Huez climb.
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MILAN (AFP) — Vincenzo Nibali will return to France on November 10 to speak with prosecutors over a complaint he filed after fracturing his back in a crash that ruled him out of this year’s Tour de France, according to Italian media reports.
The 33-year-old Bahrain-Merida rider was in front of Sky’s Geraint Thomas when he came crashing down four kilometers before the summit of the race’s legendary Alpe d’Huez climb after being hindered by a fan with a camera.
Nibali recovered and finished 13 seconds behind the favorites, but was later ruled out of the race he won in 2014. Thomas went on to win the race.
The Sicilian’s lawyer Fausto Malucchi filed a complaint on behalf of Nibali, who will give evidence as the injured party.
The competent prosecutor’s office is Grenoble, in southeast France, but the meeting could take place just over France’s border with Italy, La Gazzetta dello Sport reported.
Nibali, who has also won two Giro d’Italia titles and a Vuelta a Espana, is said to be concerned he will never return to his previous level as a result of the injury.
He won the Milano-Sanremo one-day classic in March and finished second in the season-ending Giro di Lombardia last Saturday.