Lars Boom (LottoNL-Jumbo) has been disqualified from the Tour of Norway after hitting Preben Van Hecke (Sport Vlaanderen – Baloise) during the second stage.
“He attacked and we took him back at the top (of the hill),” Boom said. “I said, “Come on, drive on”, and then he slowed up, and I rode on his wheel and almost crashed. I got crazy.”
“Yes, I hit him. I was almost on the ground. It’s not ok to slow down in front of someone like that. I have a little temper, definitely. But that’s also a good thing,” Boom added.
“You can not punch a competitor and particularly not in the face,” explained one commissaire. “It’s not good for the reputation of cycling and he cannot take the law into his own hands. So we have taken the decision of taking him out of the race.”
Boom is no stranger to controversy. Last year, he let rip was also caught on TV with an obscene hand gesture when he won a stage at the BinckBank Tour.
You can watch the incident here.
