GERAINT’S PEPPER SPRAY SCARE
CARDIFF cyclist Geraint Thomas and Sky teammate Chris Froome were among a number of Tour de France riders affected by a spray used by police to break up a farmers’ protest which caused stage 16 of the race to be stopped.
Farmers rolled large hay bales into the road 29 kilometres into Tuesday’s stage from Carcassonne to Bagneres-de-Luchon and caused chaos among the peleton.
Police then used what was reportedly “pepper spray” to tackle some of the protesters as the race approached, and it appeared to get into the eyes of a number of riders.
Team Sky’s Thomas, currently wearing the Yellow Jersey and within reach of his first Tour title, was seen wiping his eyes while Froome and Green Jersey leader Peter Sagan used water bottles to wash their eyes.
Initially, some of the peleton looked angry, as if they believed the spray had been aimed at them, but TV replays confirmed it was used to control the farmers, and it drifted into the path of the oncoming riders.
Race director Christian Prudhomme decided to halt the race after 20 miles as riders formed a long queue at the medical car for help with rinsing their eyes.
The race resumed after a 15-minute delay with a neutralised rollout.
Farmers’ protests are nothing new at the Tour, but the incident will add to the intense security situation in this year’s edition.
Froome was jostled and spat at on Alpe d’Huez, while 2014 winner Vincenzo Nibali saw his race ended after he was brought down in a tangle with a fan on the same mountain.
Tuesday’s stage takes the race into the Pyrenees for the first time as the final week begins, with Thomas looking to hold on to a lead of one minute and 39 seconds over team-mate Froome, with Team Sunweb’s Tom Dumoulin a further 11 seconds back.