Most of the time, riders in the peloton of a bike race gain some level of comradery. They ride together for many weeks out of the year and even if they aren't on the same team, it's only natural to develop a cordiality with your fellow riders.
But that's not always the case and the greatest culprit of souring a relationship more than anything else is almost always a crash. Nobody likes to fall off their bike, especially in a race, and the finger-pointing can escalate tensions.
Such was the case for Vicente Mateos of Spain and Italy's Enrico Rossi in the Volta a Portugal's sixth stage on Tuesday. The two stood on the road after a crash and a couple of fists were thrown before other riders stopped their races to break things up.
"I was going over the line and then he ran into me, so we overturned. Then he stood and shouted at me so I hit him," Rossi said.
Naturally.
OK, so it's a fight that would make even baseball players laugh but this is a real slobberknocker by cycling standards. Just another day in the peloton.
H/t The Guardian
