A PLIGHT FOR SORE EYES
Sky stars Froome and Thomas suffer as racers cycle into a cloud of pepper spray
CHRIS FROOME and Geraint Thomas rode into a toxic cloud of pepper spray as the Tour de France was sabotaged by farmers.
Defending champion Froome revealed his throat was “burning” and leader Thomas also needed treatment for sore eyes after the race was halted for 15 minutes amid farcical scenes.
Team Sky’s double act at the top of the leaderboard thought they had met every conceivable misbehaviour in this year’s race after punches, spitting, smoke bombs and being doused with unidentified liquid.
But when farmers angry with the French government’s economic reforms blocked the route with bales of hay around 20 miles out of Carcassonne, on the 134-mile long haul to Bagneres-de-Luchon, it was the final straw. Police desperately cleared the road just before the cyclists arrived but, when the farmers – who even tried to drive a flock of sheep into the peloton’s path – refused to back down, gendarmes responded with pepper spray.
With little wind to disperse the noxious fumes, many of the 147 surviving riders on stage 16 rode headlong into them.
And when director Christian Prudhomme suspended the race, with dozens of riders temporarily blinded by streaming eyes, his showpiece event turned into the Tear de France.
In-race doctors helped riders to wash the residual irritants out of their eyes and Froome said: “My throat, nose and eyes were burning afterwards, but I think a lot of the riders were in a similar situation, so we were grateful for the temporary neutralisation of the race.
“The effects didn’t last long but, temporarily, everything was stinging and burning.
“I’ve never seen anything quite like that, to that extent, but I hope everyone has come out all right from it – riders, farmers and police.” Thomas, whose overall lead remains 1min 39sec, said: “We don’t feel threatened out there, although the atmosphere is not always nice on the climbs, and it was unfortunate the pepper spray was still lingering in the air when we came through.
“I was lucky it didn’t affect me too much. I could feel my eyes tingling so I gave them a wash and rinsed my mouth out.” Still, it could have been worse.
Belgian Philippe Gilbert was lucky to avoid serious injury after he went flying over a stone wall into a large ditch during a high-speed descent (below). He had to quit Le Tour as a result.
There was no shortage of drama elsewhere, too.
Britain’s Adam Yates, leading out on his own, crashed at 44mph on a sketchy descent four miles from the finish.
He recovered to finish third, but climbed on his bike just in time to see stage winner Julian Alaphilippe go sailing past him. Heartbroken Yates groaned: “There are no bad injuries – just bad morale because we were so close to winning the stage.
“I’ve taken more risks on more technical descents in the past and never had a problem.”