Team Sky rider Richie Porte has revealed that he was punched by a spectator during stage 10 of this year's Tour de France on Tuesday.
The 167km stage from Tarbes to La Pierre Saint-Martin was won by Porte's teammate Chris Froome, who opened up a lead of two minutes 52 seconds over his rivals with the victory
However, Porte has claimed that during the stage he was punched by a spectator, and that Team Sky have received abuse from the roadside throughout the Tour.
"I was [punched] in the last 3km. I got a full-on punch. It was the same atmosphere on Alpe d'Huez two years ago. They are so anti whatever we are," Porte told The Telegraph.
"Do I deserve to be booed? Does Froome deserve all this? I don't think so. Maybe in 10 years' time they're going to see that these victories are legitimate. It's a disgrace how some of these people carry on. It's a disgrace they say the same thing to Froome, just because this team has got its act together.
"We do everything right. Look at the Tour we are having. You can't question that we are getting stuck in for Froome. Seven of us at the bottom for him. No other team had that. It's because we are organised and committed."
Froome, who still leads the general classification by two minutes 52 seconds, has frequently had to deny accusations of doping during the Tour.
Joe Sharratt
