Colombia’s Juan Sebastian Molano has been disqualified from the Criterium de Dauphine after hitting an opponent twice throughout stage six.
The UAE-Team Emirates rider was seen arguing with France’s Hugo Page in the closing levels earlier than shaking his bike and putting him on the helmet.
Molano, 27, then raced to Page’s group bus to remonstrate additional earlier than putting him on the pinnacle once more.
He has since apologised on his group’s Twitter account.
France’s Valentin Ferron received the stage for Total Energies from a breakaway.
Page, 20, of the Intermarche-Wanty Gobert group didn’t reply bodily in each cases.
Molano has been pulled from a race by his group earlier than, afterposting “unusual physiological results” during the 2019 Giro d’Italia.
UAE-Team Emirates have received the Tour de France for the previous two seasons by Slovenia’s Tadej Pogacar.
The eight-day Dauphine is a high-profile occasion used a warm-up for the Tour, which begins in Copenhagen on 1 July.
There has already been drama after general chief Wout van Aert of Jumbo-Visma was overwhelmed to the road on stage three by France’s David Gaudu of Groupama-FDJ after the Belgian celebrated too early.
Van Aert stays in the yellow jersey, one minute three seconds forward of Italy’s Mattia Cattaneo of Quick Step-Alpha Vinyl.
Britain’s Ethan Hayter of Ineos Grenadiers is fourth, 1min 32secs down, with team-mate Tao Geoghegan Hart seventh, an extra 23 seconds adrift.
