Fan Apologizes for Selfie with Collapsed Cyclist

Credit: Instagram user "kramon_velophoto" After Marcel Kittel won Sunday’s Giro d’Italia stage into Dublin, an Irish cycling fan approached the collapsed

Credit: Instagram user "kramon_velophoto"

After Marcel Kittel won Sunday’s Giro d’Italia stage into Dublin, an Irish cycling fan approached the collapsed German sprinter and took a selfie. The “photographer” David McCarthy was quickly excoriated by the cycling community for his opportunistic—and remarkably bold—actions.

Credit: Instagram user "DavidMcCarthy12"

As any polite young man behaves following a breach of etiquette, McCarthy reached out through Irish cyclist Nicholas Roche to Kittel and the offended public with an apology letter. Well, an apology iPhone Notes screenshot.

I know @davidmccarthy12 he is a nice kid. He has just send me this post to tweet. @marcelkittel pic.twitter.com/SYhpeHhsZw

— nicholas roche (@nicholasroche) May 13, 2014

“I got excited to see marcel [sic] and wanted a photo and in hindsight looking back I understand the time and place was complete wrong. My sincere apologies.”

Though unconfirmed, it seems likely Kittel accepted the apology. McCarthy already had a number of selfies with cycling’s sprinting phenom, one captioned: “We hugged and he told me well [sic] be best friends forever.”