Vuelta a Espana: Gianluca Brambilla and Ivan Rovny disqualified for fighting during stage 16
Monday 8 September 2014 22:18, UK
Italy's Gianluca Brambilla and Russia's Ivan Rovny were thrown out of the Vuelta a Espana on stage 16 for fighting.
The pair were both part of the day's 13-man breakaway but began exchanging punches just under 40km from the finish at La Farrapona.
Brambilla, of Omega Pharma - Quick-Step, went on to become part of a more select three-man group heading on to the final climb of the day, but he then pulled aside in a flurry of protestation after being told by race officials that he had been thrown out of the race.
Rovny had by now dropped back to the peloton and continued to help his Tinkoff-Saxo team leader Alberto Contador, but he was then asked to pull aside by his team and was told that he too had been kicked out of the race.
Prior to Rovny's disqualification, Tinkoff-Saxo owner Oleg Tinkov tweeted: "I dont think that Brambilla should be disqualified from #LaVuelta , it is too much. Penalty would be enough, pity and sorry."
