European “cycling fans” were spitting at Lance Armstrong during today’s stage of the Tour de France: Tour director says fans spat at Armstrong. (Hat tip: Ethel Carol.)

L’ALPE D’HUEZ, France (Reuters) - Tour de France director Jean-Marie Leblanc has admitted he had seen fans spit at five-times champion Lance Armstrong during the 15.5-km time trial to L’Alpe d’Huez.

Leblanc also said the swarming crowds on the twisting climb on Wednesday had frightened him as riders, including Armstrong, were forced to weave through excited fans who jumped out on to the road.

“I was scared too and I felt relieved when we reached the section with barriers,” Leblanc told Reuters after stage winner Armstrong described the stage as a “bad idea” and hit out at some German fans.

“Until this morning, everybody thought this time trial was a good idea and now we realised it was not so.

”There were lots of aggressive fans surrounding the riders and I even saw two idiots spit at Lance Armstrong.”

I saw this happen too, on one of the earlier Tour broadcasts; but the announcers either missed it or decided not to mention it. And then there’s this photo, forwarded to me by lizardoid Nekama, from one of the Pyrenees stages: