Chris Froome runs up Mont Ventoux: Twitter, Lance Armstrong, Geraint Thomas…er, and Chris Froome react

Holy what on Earth just happened? Just when you start thinking the outcome of Tour de France is a predictable one, you blink and everything’s on fire.

If you missed it – and beware, catch-up TV people, spoilers alert – Froome was in a group of three with Richie Porte and Bauke Mollema, in the final kilometer of the stage, on Mt Ventoux, when a moto braked suddenly - apparently to avoid crowds - causing a pile up of the three, and the destruction of Froome’s bike. Without a replacement to hand Froome, intent on finishing, began RUNNING towards the line. 

There are obvious safety implications of fans standing inches from riders where there isn’t even room to race, today's crash as high profile an example as you'd get. As we know, it’s something Froome himself brought up earlier in the race after being fined for pushing a fan who got too close.

Here's some of the instant reactions; we'll have a more considered follow up for you in the coming hours. 

Armstrong summed up what many fans will have been feeling as, palms stuck to the sides of faces, they yelled incomprehensibly at the screen.

Lance Armstrong, who controversially ‘gifted’ a win to the late Marco Pantani on the Ventoux in 2000.

Shit show.

— Lance Armstrong (@lancearmstrong) July 14, 2016

Geraint Thomas saw the funny side in a post-stage interview.

Geraint Thomas when being shown a video of Froome running without his bike. "He's from Kenya, should be good at that!" #tdf2016

— Helene (@itshelene) July 14, 2016

British Cycling didn't really know what to say

How do you start to explain @chrisfroome's #TDF2016 today? Have you ever seen anything like this?! pic.twitter.com/JzlN6BG0Mn

— British Cycling (@BritishCycling) July 14, 2016

Here's Froome 'Running Up that Hill,' as Kate Bush sang - the caption reads, "The young lad is encouraging Froome as if it were normal."

Photo incroyable : le gamin encourage Froome comme si c'était normal pic.twitter.com/4nxEy5XWfy

— Stéphane Kohler (@Kohlerderien) July 14, 2016

Froome's former team mate at Sky, Juan Antonio Flecha, was taken out by car while in a break at the 2011 Tour de France in the incident that sent Jonny Hoogerland into a barbed wire fence; here's what he had to say.

Flecha' opinions about the crash. You can see/feel his passion. #TDF2016 pic.twitter.com/QI8fTgIiIu

— CyclingHub.tv (@CyclingHubTV) July 14, 2016

And finally - for now - BMC Racing's Taylor Phinney, not riding the Tour, captures the zeitgeist.

Someone found a Pokemon up on Ventoux #TDF2016

— Taylor Phinney (@taylorphinney) July 14, 2016

Here's the results, according to organisers:

#TDF2016 GC after race jury review, @AdamYates7 stays in #WhiteJersey and 2nd GC, report to follow #OBErocks pic.twitter.com/VeoUlhTknp

— ORICA-BikeExchange (@ORICA_BE) July 14, 2016

A no doubt relieved Froome retains the overall lead

Still in the #YellowJersey #TDF

— Chris Froome (@chrisfroome) July 14, 2016

Here's what the immediate aftermath of that crash looked like.

Foto van de val: pic.twitter.com/iDQxcjoVO0

— Raymond Kerckhoffs (@raykerckhoffs) July 14, 2016

Foto van de val: pic.twitter.com/iDQxcjoVO0

— Raymond Kerckhoffs (@raykerckhoffs) July 14, 2016