Sagan ejected from Tour after elbowing incident causes crash

FRENCH champion Peter Sagan was kicked out of the Tour de France yesterday after sending Mark Cavendish crashing in a hectic finale to the fourth stage, sending shockwaves through the three-week cycling extravaganza.

French champion Arnaud Demare won the stage, a 207.5km ride from Mondorf-les-Bains, Luxembourg, but all the drama was just behind him. Slovakian Sagan elbowed Cavendish off balance as the Briton was trying to force his way between him and the safety barrier, and Cavendish crashed heavily.

His Dimension Data team said the Briton was going to the hospital to have checks on his wrist and collarbone.

“Peter Sagan is disqualified from the 2017 Tour de France after today’s tumultuous sprint in Vittel,” race jury president Philippe Marien told reporters.

He cited Article 12 of the International Cycling Union (UCI) rules, which states that any rider making a wilful obstruction “against one of the 1st 10 riders placed” faces elimination.

In 2010, Cavendish’s then leadout man Mark Renshaw of Australia was kicked out of the race for headbutting New Zealand’s Julian Dean in a sprint. Cavendish, wearing a sling, said: “I get on with Peter well... if he came across it’s one thing, but the elbow...

“I’m not a fan of him putting his elbow in me like that. A crash is a crash. I’d just like to know about the elbow, really. I’d just like to speak to him about it.”

Sagan, who later went to Cavendish’s team bus to apologise, added: “He was coming from behind, I did not have time to react and go left.”

German John Degenkolb, the 2016 Paris-Roubaix champion, also crashed as he ran into Cavendish on the ground.

The Briton eventually got back on his bike and crossed the line after being attended to by race medics.

The race’s yellow jersey holder, Britain’s Geraint Thomas, hit the deck in a separate pile-up near the end, but as the incident occurred within the final three kilometres he will be credited with the same time as the winner. Thomas and defending champion Chris Froome, who was held up behind the crash and is 12 seconds behind his compatriot in the overall classification, are fine, Team Sky said. “I went to the ground, but no serious damage,” said Thomas, who was also brought down in a crash on Sunday.

Norway’s Alexander Kristoff (Katusha) came home third, but moved up to second after Sagan’s expulsion.

Today’s fifth stage should see the top guns in action as the 160.5-km ride from Vittel will finish up La Planche des Belles Filles, a tough 5.9-km climb at an average gradient of 8.5 percent. – Reuters