(Reuters) – Colombia’s Juan Sebastian Molano was disqualified from the Criterium du Dauphine on Friday after the UAE Emirates rider hit another rider twice in the sixth stage.
Molano was spotted arguing with his Intermarche-Wanty-Gobert rival Hugo Page late in the sixth stage before shaking his bike and striking him on the helmet.
The 27-year-old then raced to Page’s team bus to angrily remonstrate further before striking him on the head again.
He later apologised for his actions saying he made a “dangerous mistake”.
“On the run-in to the finish it was fast and tense and in the heat of the moment I made a dangerous mistake,” Molano said in a statement released by his team.
“I’d like to apologise to Hugo Page and to all the riders for what happened. I understand why I was disqualified and can only say I regret it and learn from it.”
The 20-year-old Page did not respond physically to Molano’s actions.
“Obviously there’s a fight for position, he wasn’t happy and he gave me a good whack on the head. I didn’t react because it’s not in the spirit of the sport. What he did is unacceptable,” VeloNews quoted Page as saying.
“He insulted me, but it’s not my problem. I’m only interested in my own sprint, and I don’t know why he was annoyed.”
France’s Valentin Ferron won the stage for Total Energies.
(Reporting by Manasi Pathak in Bengaluru, editing by Pritha Sarkar)
