Dave Brailsford: 'I wouldn’t be surprised if Fabio Aru lost the yellow jersey on purpose'
Team Sky boss delighted to have yellow
In the aftermath of the frantic finale of the stage into Rodez, which saw Chris Froome retake the yellow jersey from Fabio Aru, the atmosphere around the Team Sky bus was a mixture of delight at seeing a tactical plan work to perfection and disbelief at the amount of time the Italian ceded – a substantial 24 seconds, giving Froome the lead by 18.
Sky boss Dave Brailsford acknowledged that both the Rodez stage and the previous one into Foix had gone perfectly for the team, but also admitted that their plans may have been assisted by Aru.
>>> Chris Froome: 'I never dreamt I'd take 24 seconds out of Aru'
“It wouldn’t surprise me if he had let the yellow jersey go to take the pressure off himself and his team,” Brailsford told reporters in Rodez.
“But, having said that, I don’t suppose he wanted to lose the amount of time he did.”
Watch: Tour de France stage 14 highlights
Speaking to NBC Sports directly after the finish, his Astana teammate Michael Valgren explained that he had tried to lead Aru up through the bunch before it reached the tricky uphill finale. Valgren added that the Italian kept losing his wheel.
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
>>> Fabio Aru on losing Tour de France lead: 'I paid for being in a bad position'
Valgren then asked the reporter if Aru had lost the lead. When told he had, the Dane said "good" and smiled broadly. However writing on Twitter after the race, Valgren clarified his comments after some took them as a slight at team leader Aru.
Aru and members of the Astana management team dodged questions of whether they had pulled off a tactical coup of their own. The Italian admitted he had been poorly positioned but stressed that there are still plenty of opportunities for him to strike back.
With the pressure now back on Froome and Sky to do control the race, Aru can now focus on following their wheels and biding his time until an opportunity to gain significant time on the British race leader emerges.
Thank you for reading 20 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access
Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
Join now for unlimited access
Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
Peter Cossins has been writing about professional cycling since 1993, with his reporting appearing in numerous publications and websites including Cycling Weekly, Cycle Sport and Procycling - which he edited from 2006 to 2009. Peter is the author of several books on cycling - The Monuments, his history of cycling's five greatest one-day Classic races, was published in 2014, followed in 2015 by Alpe d’Huez, an appraisal of cycling’s greatest climb. Yellow Jersey - his celebration of the iconic Tour de France winner's jersey won the 2020 Telegraph Sports Book Awards Cycling Book of the Year Award.
-
Coach's view: Does cycle commuting really count as training?
How to make sure you're getting the most out of your two-wheeled trip to work
By James Shrubsall Published
-
Ditching the power meter is getting me results, says Alex Dowsett
Ex-WorldTour pro enjoying better pacing and a 'nicer time' after winning two out of two TTs this season
By James Shrubsall Published
-
'It was time to change': No regrets for Rod Ellingworth after leaving Ineos Grenadiers
New Tour of Britain race director says he is still on good terms with Dave Brailsford after resigning from team last year
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
'I’m just here to enjoy it': Tom Pidcock on his surprise Paris-Roubaix appearance
British rider was a late addition to the Ineos Grenadiers team for the race across the pavé
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
The art of peaking with Geraint Thomas: 'It’s easy to take for granted that 9 times out of 10 I hit my goals'
The Welshman also calls for better governance in the sport to help it grow further
By Chris Marshall-Bell Published
-
Ineos Grenadiers’ 500th victory was claimed by a woman; why do they still not have a team?
The British squad is one of the richest in cycling - but Ineos still won’t stump up for a women’s team
By Adam Becket Published
-
'This is so much more than a number': Six of the best Ineos Grenadiers wins as team claims 500th race victory
Pauline Ferrand-Prévot took the 500th team win at the weekend
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Tom Pidcock 'wouldn’t be surprised' to see attacks before the Poggio at Milan-San Remo
British rider will lead the line for Ineos Grenadiers alongside Filippo Ganna
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Ineos Grenadiers delighted with Egan Bernal’s late cameo on stage one of Paris-Nice
Colombian snapped up key bonus seconds in the general classification battle on run in to Les Mureaux
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
‘It doesn’t change anything’ - Tom Pidcock’s coach on Tadej Pogačar at Strade Bianche
Kurt Bogaerts says the pressure is off for Pidcock as he looks to defend the title he emphatically won last year
By Tom Thewlis Published