Four-time Tour de France champion Chris Froome was yesterday dragged off his bike by a French police officer who mistook him for a fan in the latest extraordinary incident which has seen the race dubbed the Tour de Farce.
The gendarme knocked the 33-year-old Team Sky star over and grabbed him by the arm shortly after he had finished stage 17 of the gruelling race.
Froome, who was wearing a large grey coat over his white Team Sky kit as he made his descent alongside his bodyguard, shouted ‘f**k you’ at the officer, who appeared unapologetic.
Team Sky have accepted it was a mistake, but fans may be more cynical after the way has been treated during the Tour. Froome has also been spat at and shoved by angry spectators amid simmering resentment towards Team Sky’s domination of cycling’s showpiece event.
Just days before the start of the event Chris Froome was cleared to pursue a fifth title after the sport’s world governing body, the UCI, closed their doping case against him. Froome had been facing a ban because a sample given at the Vuelta a Espana last September contained twice the permitted limit for salbutamol, but he was cleared to compete at the Tour days before it started.
Chris Froome’s chances of a fifth Tour de France all but disappeared on stage 17 on Wednesday. But his day went from bad to worse when he was forced off his bike by a police officer who had mistaken him for a fan (pictured)
With no space for team buses to park at the summit finish of the Col du Portet, riders had to descend back down to reach them midway down the mountain. But a police officer grabbed the star, who was wearing a grey jacket over his Team Sky kit
The gendarme appeared unapologetic over his actions while Froome reacted angrily shouting ‘f**k you’ at the officer
That announcement came only a day after it emerged that Tour organisers ASO had actually tried to ban the Briton from the race, although it is now understood that move had been made a fortnight earlier in a bid to pressure the UCI and the World Anti-Doping Agency into a decision.
Froome’s chances of a fifth Tour de France all but disappeared on stage 17 on Wednesday. But his day went from bad to worse when he was making his way back down from the summit finish of the Col du Portet.
There was no room for support vehicles at the summit, meaning competitors who had already finished had to pass back-markers who had yet to finish the course.
With some riders still clambering towards the finish line, a gendarme mistook the four-time winner for a fan and asked him to stop, causing Froome and his bodyguard to crash.
Pictures and videos were plastered over social media as Froome reacted angrily and shouted ‘F**k you’ at the police officer, who appeared unapologetic for his actions having grabbed the Briton by the arm.
Froome was not injured in the incident and rode away from the scene.
With some riders still clambering towards the finish line, a gendarme mistook the four-time winner for a fan and asked him to stop, causing Froome and his bodyguard to crash
Team Sky described it as a misunderstanding and confirmed he was unhurt after having his arm grabbed by the officer
Team Sky described it as a misunderstanding and confirmed he was unhurt after having his arm grabbed.
On Wednesday Froome and his team mate, race leader Geraint Thomas, were temporarily blinded by pepper spray that drifted downwind when police tried to break up a protest by farmers.
Race leader Thomas survived an attempt by a spectator to pull him from his bike, just as he attacked to increase his overall time advantage.
Meanwhile, Team Sky boss Sir Dave Brailsford yesterday apologised for suggesting the nasty reception his team have received at the Tour de France is a ‘French cultural thing’.
Brailsford took aim at spectators who have jostled and spat at his riders during the race when he said that it does not happen at other races and was uniquely French.
Froome was wearing a grey coat over his white Team Sky kit which caused misunderstanding
After confronting the officer Froome then shouted ‘F**k you’ as bystanders watched on
If he was sorry for his choice of words, Brailsford reiterated his concerns over security on a day when Geraint Thomas extended his lead in the Tour despite a spectator apparently trying to grab him in the final few hundred metres of stage 17, on which he finished third.
He also mentioned the volatile atmosphere at the race when discussing Team Sky’s Gianni Moscon, who was disqualified from the Tour on Sunday after lashing out at another rider, Fortuneo-Samsic’s Elie Gesbert.
It comes a day after Geraint Thomas and Froome were temporarily blinded by pepper spray that had drifted downwind after police had tried to break up a protest by farmers.
In another extraordinary incident, Belgian rider Philippe Gilbert was involved in a spectacular crash flipping over a wall on a descents where an Italian rider died in 1995.
The former world champion completed the stage – but it was later revealed he had fractured his kneecap.
With Froome conceding he has little chance of winning after falling further behind on Wednesday, that tension may ease a little.
Britain’s Geraint Thomas cleans his eyes after tear gas was used during a farmers’ protest who attempted to block the stage’s route
Team Sky rider Chris Froome of Britain cleans his eyes after tear gas was used by policemen against the farmers protesting during the race
Team Sky’s Gianni Moscon was also thrown off the Tour for being caught throwing a punch during the chaotic event
In another extraordinary incident, Belgian rider Philippe Gilbert was involved in a spectacular crash flipping over a wall on a descents where an Italian rider died in 1995. The former world champion completed the stage – but it was later revealed he had fractured his kneecap.
Froome said the priority now was to make sure that Thomas keeps hold of the yellow jersey.
‘It was a tough day, an intense day, but I’ve got no regrets,’ he said.
‘”G” has ridden such an amazing race, he deserves to be in yellow and fingers crossed he holds it now until Paris. We just need to look after him now for these next few days.’
On Thursday the riders head out of the mountains with a 171km flat stage from Trie-sur-Baise to Pau.
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