Tour de France 2019: Spectators urged to stay clear of riders after Niccolo Bonifazio knocks into fan's phone

Television footage caught the moment a female spectator leaning over the barrier had her phone knocked out of her hand by the helmet of Niccolo Bonifazio

Spectators at the Tour de France have been urged to stay clear of the riders after one fan had a mobile phone knocked out of her hand while competitors sprinted towards the finish line on stage 11.

Television footage caught the moment a female spectator leaning over the barrier saw the phone clatter to the ground off the helmet of Niccolo Bonifazio, the Italian sprinter for Team Direct Energie.

Bonifazio seemed unfazed by the incident and was able to continue riding to the complete the stage, which was won by Australia’s Caleb Ewan.

Cycling journalist Mikkel Conde tweeted the clip, along with the warning: “Please, spectators, stay out of the way. That goes for your phones as well! You risk crashing the riders and you’ll most definitely lose your phone in the process. Enjoy the show instead. It’s pretty spectacular already!”

The Tour de France has a long history of interference by spectators. Four-time winner Chirs Froome has been on the receiving end of several incidents including having urine thrown at him, being spat on and being pushed off his bike.

Last year organisers increased the presence of railings on mountain passes in order to preserve some distance between fans and riders. However, there is a reluctance to inhibit the intimacy which makes road cycling unique compared to many other sports.