Drivers who pushed over cyclists 鈥榝or fun鈥� in France sentenced
The men drove up alongside cyclists and hit them in a bid to unbalance their bikes
The drivers hit cyclists on their helmets and elsewhere 鈥榝or fun鈥�, and some were seriously injured, a Toulouse court heard
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Two men accused of pushing over cyclists 鈥榝or fun鈥� 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 鈥榞ame鈥� 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, : "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.鈥�
The cyclists made a complaint to the gendarmerie afterwards, but could not remember the vehicle鈥檚 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鈥檚 arrest.
Both men apologised at their trial. Each of them was handed a two-year suspended prison sentence.
The case comes after the F茅d茅ration des usagers de la bicyclette (FUB, the French cyclists鈥� federation) last year warned of increased incidents of violence against cyclists by drivers, especially in rural areas.
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