Drama unfolds at O Gran Camiño - KOM leader 'blocked' by Movistar rider, crashes, and is then disqualified because of it

The Aviludo-Louletano team endured an intense day at O Gran Camiño, marked by the expulsion of Tomas Contte. The Portuguese continental team had the leader of the KOM classification, but he has been expelled from the race after an incident with a Movistar rider.

Aviludo - Louletano - Loulé experienced a day of contrasting emotions at O Gran Camiño. On the one hand, they lost Tomas Contte, expelled from the race after an incident with another cyclist. The incident involving Contte defined the fourth stage of the Galician race, contested between Xinzo de Limia and the Alto de Cabeza de Meda over a 145.7-kilometre route. The 27-year-old Argentinian was removed from the competition after assaulting another rider, a source from the organization confirmed to Agência Lusa.

At the time of his expulsion, Contte was leading the mountains classification, having worn that jersey since Stage 2, a day on which he joined the breakaway and collected enough points to take command of that secondary classification. The rider was further motivated after recently winning the same classification at the Volta ao Algarve.

Responding to the episode, the Portuguese team’s sports director, Américo Silva, explained the team’s version of the incident. According to him, the rider was trying to get into the break when a moment of tension arose in the peloton.

"He was trying to go clear into the break. The teams at the front blocked the road, pushed him into the gutter, and he reacted," he said. In words to Ciclismo Internacional, Contte explained further what happened: “A breakaway had formed, and I was fighting for the mountain sprint and had to get in. Then they closed the road, as they always do when a breakaway forms, but in reality, the breakaway wasn't actually formed".

“There were people trying to attack, they gave me some space, I attacked, and a Movistar rider—I don't know who exactly—looked back, saw me, and went after me as I was coming at speed. When that happened, which was from left to right, and since there was a rider next to me, I tried to put my hand on his backside to avoid falling. I fell anyway, recovered, and chased," he recalls.

“When I rejoined the peloton, the race official called me over to tell me I was disqualified". The decision was official. "They didn't say anything else, just that I was disqualified. The official closed the window in my face, and that was it".