TdF: Spectator killed

[yello]

Sadly, a spectator (volunteer?) has been killed when one of motorcycles collided with them...

http://www.lequipe.fr/Cyclisme/breves2009/20090718_152204_une-spectatrice-tuee.html

...2 injured but no exact details as yet

Tour organisers have reiterated the need for spectators to be careful on the road side.

 

[Will1985]

Not a volunteer. Assister is a faux ami. Wittelsheim wasn't even a sprint point - it's a few km after the first one. Even so on a flat part of the course you would expect the spectators to be safely positioned on the pavement or verge. I guess we'll hear more at the end of the day.

 

[HLaB]

The Eurosports commentators gave some detail but to be honest I didn't fully take it in but I don't think it was a volunteer.

 

[scook94]

According to Sky News it was a spectator.

 

[HLaB]

Eurosports

Woman dies during Tour de France accident

Eurosport | Sat, Jul 18, 14:31 One person is killed in an accident involving a motorcycle on the Tour de France. "A woman crossed the road and was hit by a Republican Guardsman on a motorcycle. Then the motorcycle slid and hit one or two more people," Alain Fontaine, gendarmerie spokesman said.

 

[yello]

Thanks Will, the use of 'qui assistait' confused me! I originally heard it on the tele and they made no mention of 'une bénévole' or the like, so I wasn't sure.

 

[buggi]

you gotta be honest tho, i'm sorry for the woman but the spectators are fookin stupid sometimes, if they are not running out in the road, their fookin dogs are!

 

[Flying_Monkey]

Not a volunteer. Assister is a faux ami.

Indeed. A mistake over the translation of this word is exactly why, rather more seriously, a few years ago the US press got the idea that the great French actor, Gerard Depardieu, had been involved in a gang rape...

 

[yello]

It's one of the very tricky things I am finding in learning French... there are so many words that look like English ones. They're called 'cognates' if anyone's interested! Most of them mean the same, or very similar, to the English version... but some don't! Like 'assister' which, as pointed out, is to attend rather than help! False friends (faux amis) indeed!! The difficult bit is knowing which ones!

Another good one is 'déception'... it actually means 'disappointment'! So when you hear of a 'grande déception', it's just a big disappointment rather than some fraud!

 

[Bigtwin]

"Fight" is another one.

 

[yello]

and 'tedious' an English one?