Dubai Tour: Marcel Kittel wants six month ban for Andriy Grivko after punch in the face

Marcel Kittel sports a cut over his left eye from the punch from Andrey Grivko during Stage 3 of the Dubai Tour. Matteo Bazzi / EPA

FUJAIRAH // Andriy Grivko has been disqualified from the Dubai Tour after punching Marcel Kittel in the face during Stage 3 of the race, although the defending champion has called on cycling’s governing body to issue a six month ban on the Ukrainian rider.

The bust-up, which happened in the crosswinds around the 70 kilometre mark of the 200km Dubai Silicon Oasis Stage, left Kittel with a gash above his left eye and the Tour leader was understandably furious.

“Maybe Grivko had too much coffee to drink this morning,” Kittel said. “I don’t know what got into him.

“As soon as we went into the crosswinds, there was a fight for positions, and, I think, it is totally normal that you push each other sometimes in such situations. So I was trying to get back into the line in the crosswinds with one of Grivko’s young teammates. He didn’t like that, so he pushed me back.

“I tried to go around — came between Grivko and his teammate, and I tried to push Grivko a little bit, but didn’t take my hands off, nothing. In the end, I was trying to talk to the young guy, ‘why he is really taking that risk?’, and at that moment I get a punch in my face. He made a tough choice, Grivko, I think.”

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■ Stage 1: Kittel praises teammates after securing Stage 1 win

■ Team UAE Abu Dhabi: Yousif Mirza 'proud' to be part of the pack

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Grivko has been expelled from the Dubai Tour as a short-term punishment for the attack, but Kittel has urged the UCI, the sport’s governing body, to take sterner action.

“It is very clear that he should be disqualified, not just for this race but he should get a ban for the next six months maybe,” Kittel said. “It’s a terrible disappointment for cycling. It’s a shame for this race, it’s a shame for his sponsors and for his team.

“I really don’t understand how he can show this kind of reaction. Of course, it’s a moment where you have a lot of emotion. It’s like a sprint, being in the crosswinds. But it doesn’t give him the right to punch someone else in the face.

“A bit more to the right and he could have injured my eyes, because he broke my glasses.”

Kittel said Grivko had sent Team Dimension Data’s Bernhard Eisel with an apology, but the Quick-Step Floors rider wanted nothing of it.

“For what should he apologise ... It’s too late,” Kittel said. “There is a very thin line that you can cross. If you have an argument in the race, you have an argument and you can talk about it. Maybe, you touch the other guy a little bit, no problem.

“But as soon as he injures someone — and he could have injured my eye — it’s over. There’s no feeling sorry. There is no place for an apology. It’s done. The good thing is I didn’t throw him into the desert after that punch.”

Kittel, winner of the opening two stages of the Dubai Tour, admitted the incident had left him distracted and there was no repeat of the stunning late sprints he made on the first two days on the Palm Jumeirah and Ras Al Khaimah.

“Yeah, for sure my concentration was not 100 per cent anymore,” said Kittel, who was 11th to cross the finish-line in Al Aqah. John Degenkolb (Trek-Segafredo) was first across the line, followed by Reinardt Janse van Rensburg (Team Dimension Data) and Sonny Colbrelli (Bahrain — Merida).

Kittel, however, still leads the General Classification and is looking forward to the remaining two stages. “Yeah, the day is over now and I try to move on.”

STAGE 3 RESULT

1. John Degenkolb (Trek — Segafredo) 4:03:08; average speed 49.355km/h

2. Reinardt Janse van Rensburg (Team Dimension Data)

3. Sonny Colbrelli (Bahrain-Merida).

JERSEYS

Blue Jersey (General individual classification by time)

1. Marcel Kittel (Quick-Step Floors) 12:34:54

2. Dylan Groenewegen (Team Lotto NL — Jumbo) 12:35:02

3. John Degenkolb (Trek — Segafredo) 12:35:04.

Red Jersey (General individual classification by points)

1. Marcel Kittel (Quick-Step Floors) 50 points

2. John Degenkolb (Trek — Segafredo) 41

3. Dylan Groenewegen (Team Lotto NL — Jumbo) 35.

White Jersey (Best Young Rider born after 1 January 1992)

1. Dylan Groenewegen (Team Lotto NL — Jumbo) 12:35:02

2. Jakub Mareczko (Wilier Triestina) 12:35:10

3. Loic Vliegen (BMC Racing Team) 12:35:10.

UAE Flag Jersey (Intermediate Sprint Jersey Classification)

1. Nicola Boem (Bardiani CSF) 12 points

2. Jean-Pierre Drucker (BMC Racing Team) 10

3. Alex Dowsett (Movistar Team) 10.

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