Tour of Virginia's final stage has been overshadowed by an on track incident which resulted in an off-track brawl. Four riders and a team are facing disciplinary action following the incident, which reportedly snowballed after a dropped rider dangerously re-joined the field, which led to a post-race confrontation.
Event organisers announced following the stage that it has disqualified four riders under UCI penalty "30.1 - Serious aggression". The four riders were Alliance Environmental riders Jame Carney, John Delong, Boyd Johnson and UVA rider Mark Hardman.
As a result of its rider's involvement in the scuffle Team Alliance was fined 1000 SFR for "aggressive violence and unsportsmanlike conduct".
A statement from event organisers read: "The Race Commission will recommend to USA Cycling that riders number #86, 81, and 84 for suspension for their initiation of the fight that resulted right after the finish of Stage 7 at the finish line in full view of the spectators and race officials."
The Race Commission decided to used the first sprint results to determine the group's finishing order. "The time gap between the break and the main field will be 2:15 which is the last legitimate split taken before the circuit finish fell apart," concluded the organiser's statement.
