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UCI throws Tony Martin and Luke Rowe out of Tour de France for peloton altercation

Jumbo-Visma and Ineos lose riders right before the Alps

July 24, 2019
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Although the peloton took it easy on Wednesday’s stage of the Tour de France, coming into Gap 20 minutes after winner Matteo Trentin (Italy/Mitchelton-Scott), tensions were running high enough that an altercation involving Luke Rowe of Ineos and Tony Martin of Jumbo-Visma got both riders disqualified from the race.

Footage of the event, which occurred as teams jockeyed for position before the final climb, seems to show Martin try to take Rowe off the road, before Rowe raises his hand to Martin’s face and then the two come together shoulder to shoulder in a third incident. The two then cooled off and rode the last 10 km of the stage together.

The UCI race jury deemed both riders’ actions in the incident a violation of article 2.12.007/8.2.1 of the UCI code: Failure to respect instructions, improper, dangerous or violent behaviour; damage to the environment or the image of the sport/between riders. The two weren’t just given the boot, but were also charged 1,000 Swiss francs (C$1334) and docked 50 UCI points.

In an almost unprecedented move, the two teams released a joint statement on the expulsion of the riders that read, “We believe this is a very harsh decision by the race commissaries and against the spirit of what has been such a fantastic race to date. It was the sort of incident that merits a fine and a warning but certainly not expulsion from the race – a ‘yellow card’ but not a ‘red’. Luke and Tony recognised it for what it was – a minor spat on the road at the end of a sweltering day in the saddle. It didn’t affect any other rider and it didn’t disadvantage any other team. They rode to the end of the stage together where they both shook hands. There was no ill will and they clearly still have a lot of respect for one another. We believe it is unjust that their Tour could come to an end over something like this at this point in the race.”

Furthermore, the two appeared in a video after the stage in which they both characterize the incident as something that happened “in the heat of the moment” and apologize to each other and each other’s teams for the altercation. Lowe said, “After . . . we spoke about the incident and put it to sleep.”

There is the possibility that Rowe and Martin will be reinstated to the race.

It was another busy day for the race jury, which fined Julian Alaphilippe for skipping Tuesday’s press conference and a couple of riders for chucking water bottles where they couldn’t be easily retrieved. There has been grumbling about riders getting fines for urinating in front of the public in the 106th edition.

One of the members of the UCI jury that made the decision is Canadian Adrien Lévesque.

Thursday’s first of three consecutive days in the Alps features the Galibier climb peaking 30-km before the finish line in Valloire.