VESOUL (France) • World champion Peter Sagan's appeal against his Tour de France disqualification was yesterday rejected by the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

The CAS said in a statement that it was "rejecting an urgent request for provisional measures filed by the Slovak cyclist Peter Sagan" and his team.

The 27-year-old Sagan, winner of the third stage, was kicked off the Tour on Tuesday for having elbowed Mark Cavendish into the metal barriers during the sprint finish to the fourth stage, reported Agence France-Presse.

The Briton crashed hard and was taken to hospital where he was diagnosed with a broken shoulder blade, ending his own Tour participation.

But Sagan and his Bora-Hansgrohe team argued that the Slovak did not have an opportunity to present his side of the story - and should therefore be immediately reinstated in the race.

A statement from Bora-Hansgrohe read: "The Team and Peter Saga... have lodged an appeal with CAS yesterday including an urgent motion to suspend the decision of the "Commissaires Panel" taken on late July 4, 2017 and confirmed by the President of the UCI.

"The Team and Peter Sagan would like to reiterate their position that Peter Sagan did not cause, let alone deliberately, the fall of Mark Cavendish on the last 200m of the fourth stage. Peter Sagan stayed on his line and could not see Mark Cavendish on the right side."

Earlier yesterday, Cavendish appealed for an end to the "vile and threatening" abuse he has received on social media in the wake of the collision with Sagan that ended both riders' participation in the race.

"Everybody is entitled to their opinions", he said in a video message posted on Twitter.

"But please note it is a sport. Vile and threatening comments on social media to myself and my family isn't deserved. I'd ask you all to respect that and please not send threatening or abusive language to myself and my family."

Cavendish said that he has sorted things out with Sagan.

Yesterday's 216km sixth stage from Vesoul to Troyes was won by Marcel Kittel, who came through in the final metres to secure a clear victory.

The Quick-Step Floors rider recorded his 11th career stage win on the Tour after finishing ahead of Green Jersey holder Arnaud Demare and Lotto Soudal's Andre Greipel. Team Sky's Chris Froome kept hold of the yellow jersey, 12 seconds in front of Geraint Thomas.

TOUR DE FRANCE Stage 7:
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