Mark Cavendish had urine thrown at him by a spectator during his individual time trial on stage 11 of the Tour de France – prompting fury from his Omega Pharma-QuickStep team.
The Manx Missile was involved in a collision with Argos-Shimano rider Tom Veelers inside the final kilometre of yesterday’s stage, which saw the latter hit the deck at high speed.
Cavendish insists the collision was an accident, and race commissaries ruled the 28-year-old was not at fault, but the British national champion was reportedly jeered by some spectators lining the 33km time trial route.
And Omega Pharma-QuickStep team manager Patrick Lefevere confirmed the incident to AFP, saying: “Mark is not angry, he is really disappointed because he thinks he didn’t deserve this.
“Probably some spectators were not very pleased with what happened yesterday and they yelled to him and then one other idiot threw urine at him.”
Cavendish’s team mate, Jerome Pineau, wrote on Twitter during the stage: “Shame when my friend @MarkCavendish said that he was whistled and even had urine sprinkled throughout the journey! It is outrageous!”
The Manxman’s fiancée, Peta Todd, was also left reeling by the incident, taking to Twitter to write: “My little heart hurts.
“The way people have behaved today is disgusting. Yet we are just expected to take it on the chin. The jury ruled. #Inhumane”
