Saxo Bank team-mates Andy Schleck and Stuart O'Grady have been kicked off the Tour of Spain after being caught drinking in a bar until 5am on Wednesday.
Team principal Bjarne Riis caught the pair breaking team rules on Tuesday night and made the decision to withdraw both from the Vuelta ahead of Wednesday's Stage 10.
Under Saxo Bank rules, riders are allowed to partake in a glass of wine with their evening meal, but extra alcohol is strictly forbidden.
Schleck, a two-time Tour de France runner-up, has already announced he is leaving Saxo Bank at the end of the season to form a new team with older brother Frank in their native Luxembourg.
It is believed O'Grady is also departing the team in 2011.
"I acknowledge that I have broken a rule on the team by going out for a drink after dinner and for that reason Bjarne has decided to send myself and Stuart O'Grady home," Schleck said in a statement.
"I'm responsible for my actions and even though I think it is too harsh a decision, I respect that Bjarne is the boss and he needs to do what he thinks is the best."
"I was getting back into shape and I would really have liked to stay at the Vuelta and help Frank and the rest of Team Saxo Bank."
Meanwhile, local hero Imanol Erviti took out stage 10 with countryman Joaquin Rodriguez moving to overall leader.
The Caisse d'Epargne rider won just his second grand tour stage of his career in the 175.7-kilometre stage from Tarragona to Vilanova i la Geltrú in Catalonia.
The 26-year-old crossed the finish line 37 seconds before a pack headed by Belgians Romain Zingle and Greg Van Avermaet.
Rodriguez wrested the overall lead from fellow Spaniard Igor Anton after he earned a two-second bonus for winning an intermediate sprint midway through Tuesday's stage.
The Katusha rider now leads overall by those two seconds from Anton, with Liquigas-Doimo rider Vincenzo Nibali a further two seconds back.
David Moncoutie tops the mountain classification for his team Cofidis on 41 points, five ahead of Serafin Martinez.
Caisse d'Epargne leads Katusha in the teams classification by three minutes 25 seconds.