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Tour de France interrupted by farmers' protest, police tear gas

A gendarme (L) sprays tear gas at protesters as other gendarmes remove haystacks from the route, during a farmers' protest who attempted to block the stage's route, during the 16th stage of the 105th edition of the Tour de France cycling race, between Carcassonne and Bagneres-de-Luchon, southwestern France, on July 24, 2018. (Photo by AFP)

A protest by local farmers has brought stage 16 of the Tour de France to a halt as bales of hay were thrown on to the road on the route from Carcassonne to Bagneres-de-Luchon and police tear gas blew into the faces of some of the riders.

The gas was used on Tuesday to disperse the protesters but it ended up blowing in the direction of the peloton, which led to the race being stopped at the 187 km-to-go point.

Great Britain's Geraint Thomas cleans his eyes after tear gas was used during a farmers' protest who attempted to block the stage's route, during the 16th stage of the 105th edition of the Tour de France cycling race, between Carcassonne and Bagneres-de-Luchon, southwestern France, on July 24, 2018. (Photo by AFP)

A Reuters picture showed a police officer spraying an isolated demonstrator with what appears to be pepper spray while she was sitting on the ground.

The race continued after the brief hiatus.

Riders wait on the road after a farmers' protest interrupted the sixteenth stage of the Tour de France cycling race over 218 kilometers with start in Carcassonne and finish in Bagneres-de-Luchon, France, on July 24, 2018. (Photo by AP)

Yellow jersey holder Geraint Thomas and world champion Peter Sagan were among the riders rinsing their eyes as the stage was stopped for 15 minutes.

It is not the first time that protesters have interrupted a prominent race, the most memorable incident happening in the 1984 Paris-Nice, when French great Bernard Hinault punched one of the demonstrators.

Gendarmes detain a protester as Great Britain's Geraint Thomas (R), wearing the overall leader's yellow jersey, and the pack ride behind, during a farmers' protest who attempted to block the stage's route, during the 16th stage of the 105th edition of the Tour de France cycling race, between Carcassonne and Bagneres-de-Luchon, southwestern France, on July 24, 2018.  (Photo by AFP)

The last time a Tour stage was blocked by a demonstration was in 2004.

Riders of the pack wait for the race to resume, after the General Director of the Tour de France halted it, following a farmers' protest who attempted to block the stage's route, during the 16th stage of the 105th edition of the Tour de France cycling race, between Carcassonne and Bagneres-de-Luchon, southwestern France, on July 24, 2018.  (Photo by AFP)

Local authorities said in a statement that an investigation into the incidents had been opened.

(Source: Reuters)


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