Tour de France: Chris Froome says urine was thrown at him on stage 14
Sunday 19 July 2015 17:25, UK
Chris Froome said he had a cup of urine thrown at him during Saturday's 14th stage of the Tour de France.
The Team Sky rider, who extended his overall lead to 3min 10sec on the day, also claimed the offender had called him a "doper".
The incident came less than 24 hours after fellow Team Sky rider Richie Porte revealed that he had been punched by a spectator on stage 10.
Speaking at the finish line, Froome said: "There was a bit of a dampener on today's stage for me. It was on a drag about 50, 60km into the race. I had some team-mates around me - they also saw the incident.
"I was boxed in a little bit on the left, so I couldn't move away from it. I saw this guy just peering around - it looked a bit strange - and as I got there he just launched this cup towards me and said, 'Doper'. There is no mistake it was urine.
"That is unacceptable on so many different levels. We are professionals, we work extremely hard to do what we do and for someone to come and disrespect us like that, that is not on. That is not in the name of sport. That is not why we're here.
"What can I do? I can get angry. I would rather keep my composure and stay focused on the race. I certainly wouldn't blame the public for this. It really is the minority of people out there who are ruining it for everyone else."
There were also claims on Saturday that Porte and fellow Team Sky rider Luke Rowe had been spat on during stage 14.
Froome blamed the incidents on "irresponsible" reporting on the Tour in the French media in particular, after former French riders Laurent Jalabert and Cedric Vasseur questioned the legitimacy of his performances.
He added: "With my victory a few days ago [on stage 10], the way the team has been riding, there has been a lot of very irresponsible reporting out there. That is unacceptable. It's no longer the riders who are bringing the sport into disrepute now; it's those individuals and they know who they are."
Team Sky principal Sir Dave Brailsford said he was "disgusted" and said "the organisers need to do something".
Team Sky principal Sir Dave Brailsford said the crowd on stage 14 was "out of control" and described the fans as being "like a football mob". He added that he was "disgusted" and said "the organisers need to do something".
Team Sky already had extra security around their team bus before the start of stage 14 and have asked the race's organisers, Amaury Sports Organisation, for extra protection.
Team Sky sports director Nicolas Portal said the team's riders were now "scared" about potential assaults.
He added: "I hope the public will chill out. It’s pretty hard, especially for me since I’m French. There’s nothing they can do. There is just a barrier and nothing else on the road. Anyone can cross the road and punch someone."
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