17 Jul 2010

Julian Dean: no place for head-butting

5:01 am on 17 July 2010

The veteran New Zealand cyclist Julian Dean says there's no way the disqualified Australian Mark Renshaw 's team can justify his head-butting in the sprint finish to the 11th stage of the Tour de France.

Renshaw head-butted Dean as they led out their respective team's top sprinters, Britain's Mark Cavendish and the American Tyler Farrar.

Cavendish won for Renshaw 's HTC-Columbia with Farrar third for Dean's Garmin team.

HTC-Columbia's sports director Rolf Aldag says Renshaw had both hands on the handlebars and had to use his head to get Dean away but Dean's having none of that.

Luxembourg's Andy Schleck retains the overall lead from the defending champion Spain's Alberto Contador.