A man has been arrested has been arrested after a knife-wielding man caused disruption to the Tour-de France.
A police officer has been wounded after being stabbed by a 21-year-old man who attempted to disrupt the stage between Amiens and Rouen. The suspect was apprehended following the attack, which occurred near the finish line in Boulingrin, Rouen.
The individual had been on the run since escaping from hospital on 24th June. The knife-wielding man brandished his weapon in the direction of the race route before being confronted by officers. Emergency services provided medical care to both the injured officer and the suspect after police subdued the attacker.
The incident unfolded at 2:30pm local time near the finish line in Boulingrin, Rouen. The suspect initially fled from police officers before turning around to stab one of the pursuing officers.
The incident happened near the finish line of stage four
Reuters
A local journalist who witnessed the attack described the scene: "I saw the police rush at him when he fled. He had the knife in his hand and dropped it when a police officer hit him."
Police struck the suspect in the leg during the confrontation to subdue him. Emergency services subsequently took the attacker into their care following his arrest.
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The 21-year-old suspect had been at large since escaping from a hospital facility on 24th June. According to Valeurs Actuelles, the man brandished his knife in the direction of the race route during the disruption attempt.
The confrontation resulted in the suspect being struck by police in the leg before officers were able to disarm and arrest him.
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Mathieu Van Der Poel currently holds the yellow jersey
Reuters
Emergency services provided immediate medical attention to both the wounded police officer and the subdued attacker following the incident.
The incident was resolved well before the cycling stage concluded, with riders crossing the finish line shortly before 5:30pm local time.
Three-time Tour de France champion Tadej Pogacar claimed victory in the fourth stage, finishing ahead of yellow jersey holder Mathieu van der Poel and rival Jonas Vingegaard.
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Tadej Pogacar eventually won the fourth stage
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The stage result means Pogacar and Van der Poel are now tied for the overall race lead.
The disruption did not affect the completion of the stage, allowing the Tour de France to continue as scheduled despite the security incident earlier in the afternoon.
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