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In pictures: Tour de France stage brought to standstill after protest

A selection of the best pictures after a protest disrupted Stage 10 of the Tour de France

Protesters defending 'Mont Blanc environment' cause the Tour de France to be temporarily immobilised
Image: Protesters defending 'Mont Blanc environment' cause the Tour de France to be temporarily immobilised on Stage 10

The 10th stage of the Tour de France was halted on Tuesday after half a dozen climate activists tried to stop riders on the road.

The activists, one of them wearing a T-shirt saying "We have 989 days left", sat on the road around 22 miles from the finish in Megeve, a Reuters witness said.

The activists were pulled off the road by police following the protest, which caused a 10-minute delay to the race.

Stage leader Alberto Bettiol rode through a cloud of pink from a flare before being asked by a race official to step down from his bike just before organisers said the stage had been stopped.

Ten minutes later, race director Christian Prudhomme ordered racing to resume.

"Since the government doesn't care about the climate crisis, we need to come and take over the Tour de France to refocus attention on what matters for our survival," climate activists movement Derniere Renovation said in a statement.

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"We need to make our government react as they lead us to the slaughterhouse."

Top images from the dramatic protest

A view of the peloton stopped due to protesters blocking the route on Stage 10 of the Tour de France
Image: A view of the peloton during the delay
UAE Team Emirates' Slovenian rider Tadej Pogacar looks on as the Tour de France is temporarily immobilised by race regulators due to protest action
Image: Slovenian rider Tadej Pogacar, who is bidding to win a third straight Tour de France, looks on as the race is temporarily immobilised
Protesters defending 'Mont Blanc environment' block riders on Stage 10 of the Tour de France
Image: The protesters were eventually cleared from the route
Riders in the peloton wait to restart after the race was stopped by climate activists on Stage 10
Image: Riders wait for the restart
Race regulators speak with UAE Team Emirates riders as the race is temporarily halted
Image: Race regulators speak with UAE Team Emirates riders
French gendarmes detain a climate activist after a group of demonstrators caused the race to be temporarily immobilised on Stage 10
Image: French gendarmes remove one of the climate activists
Riders in the peloton wait to restart after the race was stopped by climate activists on Stage 10
Image: Riders in the peloton prepare to restart

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