Le Tour de France

Leader denies deliberately hitting rival, Fabio Aru. “Any suggestion that it was on purpose is just crazy. First of all, it’s not anything I would ever do, and I was already on my spare bike, so to risk putting my derailleur into Aru’s front wheel—it’s just crazy. I wouldn’t risk that at all.”

BERGERAC, France—Race leader Chris Froome has described suggestions that he deliberately barged into rival Fabio Aru during a grueling Tour de France stage as “crazy.”

Froome, who leads Aru by 18 seconds after nine stages, said during Monday’s first rest day that he just made a mistake.

Many race observers thought the British rider might have barged into Aru in retaliation after the Italian champion appeared to launch an attack when Froome had a mechanical problem on the Mont du Chat climb.

Froome later caught the Aru group but said the contact with the Astana rider was unintentional.

“Once I got back to the group I think the very next hairpin we went round I lost my balance a little bit and swerved to the right,” he said. “Aru happened to be on my right and he had to swerve as well. It was a genuine mistake and I think Fabio was the first to recognize that. I apologized straight away on the road as soon as it happened.

“Any suggestion that it was on purpose is just crazy. First of all, it’s not anything I would ever do, and I was already on my spare bike, so to risk putting my derailleur into Aru’s front wheel—it’s just crazy. I wouldn’t risk that at all.”

Sunday’s stage to Chambery was filled with drama and crashes. Among those who did not finish the stage was Froome’s teammate Geraint Thomas, who retired with a fractured pelvis and collarbone, along with concussion.