Report from Road Bike Action Magazine:

Mark Cavendish has lost his best lead out man, and arguably the best lead out man in cycling today as Australian Mark Renshaw has been thrown out of the 2010 Tour de France.

Renshaw threw several head butts to Garmin-Transitions rider Julian Dean during the final moments of the bunch sprint of Stage 11 Thursday in Bourg-les-Valence.

Renshaw was also shown blocking Dean's sprinter, Tyler Farrar, as the American tried to come up the inside of the barriers.

Top race official Jean-Francois Pescheux said after the race: "Renshaw was declassified immediately but we have decided to also throw him off the race.

"We've only seen the pictures once, but his actions are plain for all to see. This is a bike race, not a gladiator's arena."