The organisers of the Baloise Belgium Tour prevented Kenny van Hummel from starting stage 2 after he displayed "incorrect behaviour" in the first stage of the race.
Van Hummel was seen shoving Oliver Naessen from the continental Cibel team after the pair crashed in the lead-up to the sprint.
The Androni-Giocattoli sprinter issued a statement on his personal web page, saying he should not have pushed the other rider, but complained about dangerous riding in the peloton.
"When I crash in such a way I feel have to say something," Van Hummel said. "I pushed him, I did not hit him. I shouldn't have done that but when someone refuses to hit the brakes in such a hazardous situation I felt I had to say something about it."
Van Hummel was given no warning after the first stage, and even signed in for stage 2 before being called in by the race jury.
"When I rode to the start I heard the commissaires wanted to talk with me. The organization had insisted that they took me out of the race and so they did."
"The jury understood my situation and they didn't give me a penalty or a fine for it."
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