Cycling news - Jens Debusschere hits out at Gianni Moscon: 'I could have punched him'

Around 70km from the finish, several riders fell into a ditch as the peloton was riding on narrow roads.

As the competitors tried to get back up, footage captured Moscon throwing someone else's bike back into the ditch, catching the B&B Hotels - Vital Concept rider as he did so.

He was later seen tearing his numbers from his jersey and throwing them on the floor in anger after being disqualified for the incident by the UCI commissaires.

Debusschere says this is among a string of incidents involving Moscon, and was left filled with rage by this latest one.

"I didn’t crash but I tumbled into the ditch and was crawling back out of it, then I had a bike – not even mine – thrown straight to my head," he told Cycling News.

"You’re full of adrenaline but then you realise that the best thing you can do is get back on your bike. You’re disappointed but the reflex should be to get back on your bike as soon as possible and make sure you’re back in the pack. There’s not much time to waste in these races. His reaction was unnecessary.

"It’s not only this incident, there’s many more incidents. If you ask around in the peloton about how their relation is with him, then 90 per cent will react negatively.

"Obviously, there’s more respect in the peloton for riders from the major teams. You give them some space. That's the case if Quick-Step is passing by, but also Ineos.

"It doesn’t mean that one has to start pushing. There’s a big difference when you compare him with someone like Luke Rowe, who will always be as courteous as one can be in a peloton. With Moscon, that’s totally not the case. That is his personality and that will not change anymore."

As Debusschere alluded to, this was hardly the first time that Moscon was accused of aggressive or controversial behaviour.

In 2018, he was expelled from the Tour de France after appearing to aim a punch at Elie Gesbert at the start of the 15th stage, and his team (then Sky) found themselves unable to condone him, saying: "We support and accept the decision by the race organisers to exclude Gianni Moscon from the Tour de France. Gianni is desperately disappointed in his behaviour and knows that he has let himself, the Team and the race down."

However, he could perhaps consider himself lucky to stay with Sky after being suspended for six weeks for racially abusing Kevin Reza during the 2017 Tour de Romandie, with his team promising to terminate his contract if there was any repeat of the incident.

And indeed, neither the punch nor the bike-throwing episodes were the only times he has been accused of violence, as in 2017 he was accused of deliberately causing Sebastien Reichenbach to crash, resulting in the FDJ rider breaking his elbow and hip.

Concerning the latest controversy in Belgium, Ineos director Gabriel Rasch was once again unable to support his rider. "I agree with the decision – it’s not something that should happen."

However, there appears to be scant chance that the Italian firebrand could lose his contract over the latest incident, with Rasch adding: "We have to speak to him now and it’s something we’re working on and have to continue working on, definitely. It’s more supporting him, really, and doing the right things so it doesn’t happen again, but you never have any guarantees."