Man held after Tour de France accident

A man who drove into a crowd of bystanders at the Tour de France and injured eight people was taken into custody and being held at a mental hospital, police said today.

The man, 50, from Sundhoffen, Germany, drove his car into a group of fans waiting at the finish line in the eastern French town of Colmar, on Saturday after being refused entry to a limited-access area.

Police said the man had a history of mental illness.

The most seriously injured bystander was a woman, who was thrown into the air by the vehicle.

One other spectator, four security guards and two police were also injured.