Andre Greipel and Fernando Gaviria relegated from Tour de France Stage 8 sprint

In Saturday’s sprint at the climax of Stage 8 at the Tour de France, both Andre Greipel (Germany/Lotto-Soudal) and Fernando Gaviria (Colombia/Quick Step) were relegated by the race jury for two separate head-butting incidents in the final kilometre. They drop to 92nd and 93rd respectively. Peter Sagan moves up to second to Dylan Groenewegen on the day and John Degenkolb is third.

Greipel was adjudged to be too liberal with the helmet on Nikias Arndt (Germany/Sunweb) at the 900-metre to go mark. He comes together with his compatriot in fourth position.

Greipel headbutted Arndt inside the last km. A very light incident but the commisaires might have taken it into consideration for their decision. No sprinter is a saint, I guess. What it's important is that they didn't crash and Dylan won. ? #TDF2018 pic.twitter.com/AbGnhI7qHw

— Mihai Simion (@faustocoppi60) July 14, 2018

Six-hundred and fifty metres later, Gaviria headbutts Greipel two times on the left hand side of the finishing straight. It looks like Gaviria headbutts the German’s butt.

https://twitter.com/wcstats/status/1018147364756959232

Some fans and pundits misunderstood what Greipel was relegated for, believing it was for the incident with Gaviria. The Gorilla seemingly did so as well.

nothing more to say about that decision of the jury-when you do your sprint you keep a line-I have no eyes in my back and I don’t let myself get pushed out of the way from nobody-hard to accept to get already robbed for the stage win and now the commissaries even take away 2nd???

— Andre Greipel (@AndreGreipel) July 14, 2018

I like Nando but I agree with Greipel on this one. Just like last year with Cav, Gaviria wanted to force himself though a very narrow gap. Greipel didn't change his line. I'm just glad that it didn't end again with a terrible crash. Lotto-Soudal should file an appeal. #TDF2018 https://t.co/gbfNLoG5qT

— Mihai Simion (@faustocoppi60) July 14, 2018

Others differed with the race jury.

I am pretty sure I disagree with this. https://t.co/18jRWMImA1

— How The Race Was Won™ (@Cyclocosm) July 14, 2018

Degenkolb commented on the Gaviria clash.

https://twitter.com/SadhbhOS/status/1018141957477031945

Sagan now leads Gaviria by 63 points in the green jersey competition.