A cheeky fan who mooned the Tour de France peloton during Sunday’s Bastille Day stage got more than he bargained for when a Bahrain-Merida rider slapped him on the behind as he rode past.

The spectator was one of a trio who turned their backs, pants down, on the race as it passed by them during Stage 9 from Saint-Etienne to Brioude.

The footage, now viewed more than 1 million times, was posted to Twitter by Tricotte69 who said: “Surely the video of the year.”

The unnamed rider could have been thrown out of the race under Article 29.2 of its rules, which relate to "indecent appearance or inappropriate behaviour" – although it appears no action has been taken against him.

As in previous years, this edition of the race has seen organisers remind fans via social media to respect the riders competing in the race.