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Savage cop sends Tour de France fan tumbling

Warren Barguil won the 18th stage at the Tour de France but a savage cop won the Internet with a hilarious demonstration of authority on an unsuspecting fan.

The incident happened during the gruelling Col d'Izoard climb when the over-enthusiatic spectator got a little too close to the action.

Sprinting after UAE Team Emirates rider Darwin Atapuma, the man was sent sprawling into a ditch after the policeman sped up alongside him on a motorbike and pushed him to the ground.

Pic: SBS
Pic: SBS

Tour leader Chris Froome survived the thrilling climb to hold on to his yellow jersey as Frenchman Romain Bardet's hopes of mounting a decisive attack fizzled out.

Australia's green jersey favourite Michael Matthews remains 160 points clear of his nearest sprint rival Andre Greipel.

With Bardet's countryman Barguil producing a stunning burst on the brutal 14km climb to the summit to claim victory, all eyes were on what was going on back down the twisting road.

Team Sky's Froome, who began the final big day of climbing in the Alps with a 27-second lead over Bardet and Rigoberto Uran, was pressurised on the unrelenting slopes as Bardet's AG2R La Mondiale team tried to loosen his grip.

But Froome crossed the line just behind Bardet, who he now leads by 23 seconds, with Uran - now 29 seconds behind - also in close support, and now only an extraordinary meltdown or a crash seem likely to stop the Briton taking a fourth Tour title.

Barguil sealed the polka dot climber's jersey with a brilliant ride up the iconic Izoard climb, which was staging a summit finish for the first time in Tour history.

Colombia's Darwin Atapuma was second.

Friday's stage is a relatively straightforward 222-km ride south towards the coast before Saturday's time trial in Marseille, where Froome is likely to extend his lead over his rivals for the yellow jersey.