World champ gets booted from Tour
WORLD champion Peter Sagan has been kicked out of the Tour de France and Mark Cavendish’s race is also over after tempers erupted on a volatile stage four.
The cycling superstar was deemed responsible for the second of two nasty crashes that caused havoc in the closing stages of the 207.5km journey from Mondorf Les Bains to Vittel yesterday.
The Slovak’s team, BoraHansgrohe, has appealed against the decision to disqualify Sagan, claiming he did not see Cavendish coming.
Three-time Tour de France winner Greg LeMond leapt to his defence, saying the judges got it wrong.
“It is too harsh, I think,” the American said.
“Some riders hold on to a car on the Tour and they are not kicked out.”
German sprinter Andre Greipel, who took issue with Sagan for contact he made on an intermediate sprint during stage three, lashed the Slovak at the finish line.
“He thinks he’s the king but the same rules apply to him,” Greipel said. “He’s not my friend anymore.”
But Greipel changed his tune after viewing replays.
“Sometimes I should watch images before I say something,’’ he said.
“Apologies to Peter Sagan as I think that decision of the judge is too hard.”
In an action-packed finish, French sprinter Arnaud Demare was the jubilant winner but behind him carnage ensued.
With the world’s fastest men screaming towards the line, Sagan elbowed Cavendish into the barriers at 55km/h.
Cavendish was trying to squeeze through a narrowing gap that Sagan emphatically closed on him with a flick of his right elbow, putting the Briton into the fencing and then the bitumen.
Two riders behind Cavendish – German John Degenkolb and England’s Ben Swift – hit him and were catapulted into the air.
Cavendish, who has won 30 Tour stages, was later forced to withdraw with a broken shoulder.
The biffo continued after the finish line. Australian star Richie Porte was involved in a heated disagreement with a rider from Team FortuneoOscaro.
It became physical before the pair were separated.
“I get along with Peter well but I don’t get it,” Cavendish said.
“If he came across (the road), it’s one thing but the elbow ... I’m not a fan of him putting his elbow in like that. A crash is a crash but I’d like to know about the elbow.”
After crossing the finish line, Sagan rode straight to the bus belonging to Cavendish’s team, Dimension Data, in an attempt to make peace.