Video: Froome fined for smacking this Colombian fan (hard to the head)

Chris Froome hit this fan very hard just after he'd been running beside compatriot Nairo Quintana up the final climb of the Tour's stage 8 on Saturday.

The mountain stages may bring out the best in the strongest riders in the race, but they also bring throngs of fans running beside the riders up the mountains.

And on the final ascent on today’s stage 8, Chris Froome reached out and gave a running fan dressed in the Colombian national colours quite a hard smack, for which he was fined 200 Swiss Francs.

The fan was clearly running alongside Colombian Nairo Quintana (Movistar) who was in the same group as Froome, just head of the Briton, when the incident occurred climbing the Col de Peyresourde.

Getting abuse for the hand off of the spectator, camera doesn't show his flag almost going into my front wheel & across my handlebars! ?

— Chris Froome (@chrisfroome) July 9, 2016

The Team Sky leader, who would attack over the top of the climb and take the stage win and yellow jersey, obviously felt the fan was getting too close as he ran and so he reached out and struck him.

He said afterwards that what the TV camera failed to pick up was the fans flag dangerously close to sticking into his wheel.

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“I have absolutely nothing against the Colombian fans, I think they’re fantastic and they bring a great atmosphere to the race, but this guy in particular was running right next to my handlebars and he had a flag that was flying behind him,” he said.

“I pushed him away and lashed out. It’s fantastic having so many fans out on the road, but please don’t run with the riders; it gets really dangerous for the guys behind.”