Watch: Miguel Ángel López lashes out at spectator after causing crash at the Giro d'Italia 2019
The Colombian was subsequently distanced from the GC group with 5km left to race
Miguel Ángel López (Astana) has lashed out at a fan on the side of the road after the spectator apparently caused the Colombian rider to crash on stage 20 of the Giro d'Italia 2019.
With 5km to go, television pictures picked up López off his bike, trying to fix his chain, with team-mate Jan Hirt offering assistance.
After a significant delay, López did get back on his bike but found himself now distanced from the front of the race as the GC favourites made their way to the finish.
A television replay showed López stopped by the side of the road immediately after the crash, lashing out at the spectator, who is sat on the floor.
At the start of the replay, it appears you can see the spectator in question running alongside the riders on the left hand side, but the man is then forced into the way of the riders by another fan who is standing in front of the line of spectators.
Commissaires are likely to take a look at the incident after the end of stage 20, with the standard penalty for striking a spectator being disqualification.
Updates to follow...
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Hi. I'm Cycling Weekly's Weekend Editor. I like writing offbeat features and eating too much bread when working out on the road at bike races.
Before joining Cycling Weekly I worked at The Tab and I've also written for Vice, Time Out, and worked freelance for The Telegraph (I know, but I needed the money at the time so let me live).
I also worked for ITV Cycling between 2011-2018 on their Tour de France and Vuelta a España coverage. Sometimes I'd be helping the producers make the programme and other times I'd be getting the lunches. Just in case you were wondering - Phil Liggett and Paul Sherwen had the same ham sandwich every day, it was great.
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