Mike Irwin was right

[Macgyver_Hawg]

Apparently a spectator punched a Tour de France rider in the face.    On yesterday's Press Row Mike said this was bound to happen.

Kashechkin struck in face by a fan

PAU, France (Reuters) -- Kazakh rider Andrey Kashechkin was struck in the face by a spectator as he was tackling the Marie Blanque climb in the Tour de France's 16th stage from Mourenx to Pau on Tuesday.

"He received a punch in the face. He's stunned. It's unbelievable", said his Credit Agricole team chief Roger Legeay.

The Kazakh had just launched an attack with compatriot Alexander Vinokourov and American Levi Leipheimer.

He was riding on the left of the road when he was hit.

His nose covered in blood, he rode back towards the spot where the spectator was standing, apparently to avenge the blow, but gave up and waited for the assistance of his team car.

Later accounts of the incident suggested that the roadside spectator was cheering on the riders as they raced up a climb and apparently struck the Kazakh rider accidentally, as he cycled past.

Despite the presence of thousands of fans on the roadsides, such incidents are rare.

In 1975, five-times Tour winner Eddy Merckx was punched in the stomach by a French fan.

Three years ago, in the Giro d'Italia, Italian Wladimir Belli stopped to exchange punches with a spectator who had insulted him. The fan turned out to be a cousin of Italian climber Gilberto Simoni.

Belli was kicked out of the race.

During Sunday's 15th stage of the Tour de France a spectator running alongside riders up another climb went under the wheels of a motorcycle carrying a TV cameraman who was filming the race.

Copyright 2005 Reuters. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed

[Extra Point]

Why do you think Lance sucks up to the French people?  He doesn't want any trouble.  If he really liked France and its people so much, he would own a house in France, not Spain.

[Eric Sullivan]

Apparently a spectator punched a Tour de France rider in the face.  On yesterday's Press Row Mike said this was bound to happen.

Kashechkin struck in face by a fan

PAU, France (Reuters) -- Kazakh rider Andrey Kashechkin was struck in the face by a spectator as he was tackling the Marie Blanque climb in the Tour de France's 16th stage from Mourenx to Pau on Tuesday.

"He received a punch in the face. He's stunned. It's unbelievable", said his Credit Agricole team chief Roger Legeay.

The Kazakh had just launched an attack with compatriot Alexander Vinokourov and American Levi Leipheimer.

He was riding on the left of the road when he was hit.

His nose covered in blood, he rode back towards the spot where the spectator was standing, apparently to avenge the blow, but gave up and waited for the assistance of his team car.

Later accounts of the incident suggested that the roadside spectator was cheering on the riders as they raced up a climb and apparently struck the Kazakh rider accidentally, as he cycled past.

Despite the presence of thousands of fans on the roadsides, such incidents are rare.

In 1975, five-times Tour winner Eddy Merckx was punched in the stomach by a French fan.

Three years ago, in the Giro d'Italia, Italian Wladimir Belli stopped to exchange punches with a spectator who had insulted him. The fan turned out to be a cousin of Italian climber Gilberto Simoni.

Belli was kicked out of the race.

During Sunday's 15th stage of the Tour de France a spectator running alongside riders up another climb went under the wheels of a motorcycle carrying a TV cameraman who was filming the race.

Copyright 2005 Reuters. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed

I just saw the video and it looks like the fan hit him with one of those "thunder sticks" you see at basketball games. Anyways the dude got freaking nailed in the noggin and he straight looked like Rocky Balboua in the Rocky 2 movie when Apollo cracked him in the first round. He was bleeding pretty bad.
ESully