LIÈGE, Belgium (AFP) — Ukraine cyclist Andrei Grivko (Astana), who was kicked off the Tour of Dubai for punching a rival, was suspended for 45 days, May 1 to June 14, by the Disciplinary Commission of the International Cycling Union (UCI) on Thursday.
Grivko was disqualified in Dubai in February for punching race leader Marcel Kittel (Quick-Step Floors) who was left with blood pouring down his face.
The UCI didn’t give a reason for banning the 33-year-old Grivko who will be sidelined from May 1 to June 14.
Kittel took to Twitter immediately after the incident saying the Grivko’s action was a “shame” for the sport.
In a statement, the Astana team had qualified the gesture of his rider as “unsportsmanlike and unacceptable.” The Kazakh team has already presented its apologies to Kittel.
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