I'm not trying to make an excuse for what the lady did.... but the way that race is run, (as noted Mama), how could you realistically NOT expect something like this to happen?

It would be like putting a toddler playground next to turn 4 at Indy, without a fence or any sort of barrier, and then being shocked when a toddler wandered onto the track. It makes no sense.

The lady in question wasn't even looking at the cylers approaching she was primping for the camera to show off her sign. She was as surprised by the contact as the cycler who ran into her sign. - JamesJM