Froome in 'hit and run' incident

Reigning Tour de France champion Chris Froome said Tuesday he had been deliberately knocked off his bicycle by a hit-and-run driver while training in southern France.

The British rider, a three-time winner of the Tour, road cycling's most prestigious race, posted a picture of his damaged bike on Twitter but said he he himself had not been injured in the incident.

"Just got rammed on purpose by an impatient driver who followed me onto the pavement!" tweeted the 31-year-old Froome, who rides for the British-based Team Sky. "Thankfully I'm okay. Bike totaled. Driver kept going!"

The picture was geotagged from Beausoleil in France, near Froome's home in Monaco.

Last month, former Giro d'Italia winner Michele Scarponi was killed when the 37-year-old Astana team rider was knocked off his bike after colliding with a van while training near his home in central Italy.

This year's Tour de France begins in Dusseldorf, Germany, on July 1.