Sunday 22 July 2018 23:32, UK
Team Sky rider Gianni Moscon has been disqualified from the Tour de France for punching another rider.
The 24-year-old Italian hit out at Fortuneo-Samsic's Elie Gesbert just 800 metres into Sunday's 181.5km stage from Millau to Carcassonne.
In a statement, Team Sky principal Sir Dave Brailsford said a decision on whether Moscon would face further action will be made after the Tour.
"We support and accept the decision by the race organisers to exclude Gianni Moscon from the Tour de France," said Brailsford.
"Gianni is desperately disappointed in his behaviour and knows that he has let himself, the team and the race down.
"We will address this incident with Gianni once the Tour is complete and decide then if any further action should be taken.
We support and accept the decision by the race organisers to exclude Gianni Moscon from the Tour de France.
"I would like to offer my sincere apologies to both Elie Gesbert and Team Fortuneo Samsic for this unacceptable incident."
A communique from race commissaires said Moscon had been disqualified for "particularly serious aggression".
Moscon's exit leaves Sky with seven riders, though they had been along among the teams targeting general classification in not losing a rider already.
The incident overshadowed a day in which Geraint Thomas comfortably retained the yellow jersey as Magnus Cort Nielsen won his first career Tour stage, outsprinting Jon Izagirre of Bahrain-Merida and Bauke Mollema of Trek-Segefredo to deliver back-to-back wins for Astana.
Thomas finished safely in the pack some 13 minutes later, alongside team-mate Chris Froome and Tom Dumoulin of Team Sunweb to ensure there is no change at the top of the general classification, which Thomas leads by one minute and 39 seconds from Froome, with Dumoulin a further 11 seconds back.
