Geraint Thomas pleaded for calm and “a bit of decency” from roadside fans at the Tour de France on Thursday after ugly scenes marred his historic victory on Alpe d’Huez. One fan was arrested, allegedly for throwing a punch at four-time Tour champion Chris Froome.

Another was caught on video shoving the British rider as he passed, while there were various reports that Team Sky’s riders and vehicles were spat at on the famous 21-hairpin climb, which is a traditional lightning rod for rowdy behaviour from fans who often spend days camping out waiting for the arrival of the peloton.

It was not just Sky’s riders who had problems. Fans ran alongside the riders trying to take photos, while one of the race favourites, Vincenzo Nibali [Bahrain Merida] was forced to abandon the race with a fractured verterba after coming down as a result of coming into contact with a spectator at a section of the route where a smoke bomb had been let off. Replays suggested that it may have been a camera strap which snagged his handlebars. The Italian got back on his bike and finished the stage - impressively, just 13 seconds down on Thomas - but he was later confirmed as having abandoned.