Tour de France re-starts after farmers' protest

AFP  |  Fanjeaux (France) 

The 16th stage re-started on Tuesday after a brief halt when police used tear gas near the to break up a protest by farmers.

Bales of hay blocked the road 26 kilometres (16 miles) into the day's ride from Carcassone as farmers demonstrated against a cut in state aid.

Among the riders affected by the tear gas was Team Sky's Geraint Thomas, who was pictured rubbing his nose following the incident.

Television images showed medical officers handing out eye drops to riders including

The 218km stage with a finish in Bagneres-de-Luchon and featuring two first category climbs in the restarted at 12:36 pm (1036 GMT) after an interruption lasting around 10 minutes.

This year's has been marked by a series of incidents on the sidelines of the race including abuse directed at Team Sky and four-time champion

Amid a general feeling of suspicion surrounding Sky and their sheer domination of the race, Froome has been spat at and manhandled, Thomas has been booed off the podium and some of Sky's staff have also faced abuse.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

First Published: Tue, July 24 2018. 17:15 IST