Tour de France 2019: Ineos criticise ‘very harsh red card’ after Luke Rowe and Tony Martin disqualified

Replays showed that Rowe appeared to punch Martin in reaction to being forced off the road

Team Ineos have criticised the decision by race commissaires to disqualify their road captain Luke Rowe from the Tour de France following an altercation with the German rider Tony Martin during stage 17.

Replays showed that Rowe appeared to punch Martin in reaction to being forced off the road. They rode to the end of the stage where they shook hands and thought that was the end of the matter.

However, race officials summoned the pair to explain the incident and evicted them from the Tour. Ineos are exploring a possible appeal against the decision.

In a joint-statement with Martin’s team Jumbo-Visma, Ineos said: “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.”

Ineos will now go into the final three stages of the race without one of the most experienced members of the team as the reigning champion Geraint Thomas and the 22-year-old Colombian Egan Bernal attempt to win the yellow jersey.