when i saw the cav sprint from the front it did look bad but the overhead shot showed cav did not go off line but the barriers closed in. an experienced rider like hushovd's opinion is very important though, i saw hushovd's interview and he didn't seem too upset (but maybe that's because it had already been decided in is favour) but he said cav had done it to others previously but not to him.
the tour having a go at an upstart? maybe, the comissaire they interviewd who made the discision said something along the lines of "i have made my discision and it won't change, the will be no appeal and my word is final" and that was before the overhead footage had been seen.
i'm sure some of his comments haven't helped either, i don't know what his reported anti french comments were but whether he said them or not it wouldn't go down well in the tour.
i do think cav is arrogant though but so was cipo and abdu before him. it's par for the course with sprinters.