Tom Pidcock made a surprising presence in the group sprint in the opening stage of the Volta ao Algarve, where the Ineos Grenadiers rider, who finished fifth, was later demoted to 135th place for pushing another rider.

A communiqué from the race judging committee noted an "erratic sprint" as it confirmed that Pidcock "pushed another rider" (presumably Luis Mendonça (Glassdrive-Q8-Anicolor)).

Pidcock was relegated to the back of the group, which was almost a full peloton. He was also fined CHF 200 and penalized 25% in the points standings.

The sanction appears to be related to the fact that Pidcock raised his arm in the last kilometer and made contact with a Glassdrive rider.

Pidcock was weaving his way through the pack when he spotted a rider in front of him coming into his line and raised his left hand to push him with 200 meters to go. It was not a strong push, but Pidcock's own attempt to get through the gap and avoid a bigger impact. The rider did not crash, but was ejected to the left side near the barrier.

Taking your hands off the bars in a sprint is frowned upon by race officials, especially if you are going to contact another rider. Aggressive plunges are usually disqualified, but even so, the race jury felt that Pidcock's move was dangerous enough to merit a demotion.

Pidcock bumped shoulders with Timo Kreich of Alpecin Deceuninck with 100 meters to go and was bounced to the left before finishing in fifth place.

Punishment aside, it was a strong start to the season for the 23-year-old, who skipped this year's cyclocross world championships to prepare for his road campaign. He maintains the same overall time as the rest of the pack and could be one of many Ineos cards, including Thymen Arensman, Dani Martinez, and Filippo Ganna, to contend for the overall title in Volta ao Algarve.

The race will begin with the first summit finish on stage 2, Alto de Foia, followed by stage 4, Marhão, and the final day's time trial on Sunday to settle the race.