Juan Sebastián Morano was disqualified after being caught on camera punching fellow French rider Hugo Page at the Criterium du Dauphiné.

The Colombian sprinter, competing for UAE Team Emirates, was caught on video filmed from a TV helicopter pushing the Intermarque Wantigover rider before angrily admonishing him in the last 10 km of stage 6.

He then reached out to forcibly strike the 20-year-old neo-pro, who was third in the points standings and clad in the green jersey.

After a further collision with Page at the finish, Morano was summoned to the UCI Commissaires' video judge's car, where the footage was reviewed and he made his case. Minutes later, however, he was expelled from the race.

In a statement from his team, Morano apologized for his "dangerous mistake" and said he understood the reasons for his disqualification.

Page was similarly angry with Morano, explaining to reporters that the incident occurred because Morano felt Page had crossed him in a battle for position in the peloton early in the race.

After the stage, the two came together again and Morano again punched Page in the head. Morano was then called to the UCI review vehicle, but was informed of his fate after returning to the team bus.

His actions were deemed dangerous by the judges, and taking one's hands off the bars and violating a rider usually meets the same fate.

"The push to the finish was fast and tense.

"I want to apologize to Hugo Page and all the riders. I understand why I was disqualified, I regret it and I can only say that I have learned from it."

Morano finished seventh, while Page was 14th. The peloton finished 32 seconds behind the breakaway, and the stage winner was Total Energies' Valentin Ferron.