Strike from the back! The Colombian Juan Sebastian Molano (UAE) was disqualified this Friday after the 6th stage of the Critérium du Dauphiné. He is guilty of having punched the young Frenchman Hugo Page (20 years old, Intermarché).
The two riders were at the back of the peloton when the events took place. The sequence was captured by the cameras of France Télévisions. We see Molano and Page there, rolling side by side, shouting at each other before the Colombian unleashes a punch at the Frenchman. A rare and inexcusable gesture of humor. “He will not see the mountain” immediately reacted Laurent Jalabert at the microphone of France TV.
A punch that did not escape the organizers who quickly cracked down. According to the official press release from the commissioners’ jury, Molano was excluded for “punches during the race, 8 km from the finish, and recurrence after the finish”.
Molano, who initially took 7th place in a stage won by Frenchman Valentin Ferron (TotalEnergies), later apologized to the young Frenchman.
“The approach to the finish was fast and tense,” explained the 27-year-old Colombian. In the heat of the moment, I committed a dangerous act. I would like to apologize to Hugo Page and all the riders for what happened. I understand why I was disqualified and can only say that I regret it and learn from it. »
Too late. In addition to the disqualification, he was also fined 2,000 Swiss francs (1,924 euros) and a withdrawal of 100 points from the UCI ranking.