Drivers who pushed over cyclists ‘for fun’ in france sentenced

THE MEN DROVE UP ALONGSIDE CYCLISTS AND HIT THEM IN A BID TO UNBALANCE THEIR BIKES Two men accused of pushing over cyclists ‘for fun’ in the south of France have been handed suspended prison

sentences by a court in Toulouse (Haute-Garonne). The men, aged 20 and 22, drove around roads in the Save valley, targeting cyclists. They would follow cyclists, come up next to them, and

attack them - knocking, hitting, or pushing them over - before driving off. The duo played this ‘game’ for eight months between April and December 2023, before continued reports from

cyclists led to their arrest. They pushed over at least 12 cyclists, and some were seriously injured. One victim, Jean Brossard, TOLD _FRANCEINFO_: "They hit me on the helmet, and the

cyclist behind me, with what looked like a small truncheon, and then he hit me twice more.” The cyclists made a complaint to the gendarmerie afterwards, but could not remember the vehicle’s

number plate. However, when the gendarmerie investigated, they found that the mobile phones of two men were traced to the scene at the time, and at times of other reports. This led to the

duo’s arrest. Both men apologised at their trial. Each of them was handed a two-year suspended prison sentence. The case comes after the Fédération des usagers de la bicyclette (FUB, the

French cyclists’ federation) LAST YEAR WARNED of increased incidents of violence against cyclists by drivers, especially in rural areas. RELATED ARTICLES DISMEMBERED BODY OF CYCLIST FOUND AT

TOURIST SITE IN SOUTHERN FRANCE CALL FOR URGENT ACTION AFTER STEEP RISE IN CYCLIST DEATHS IN FRANCE