Etixx boss says cars and motorbikes helped Froome and Sagan in breakaway
Patrick Lefevere complains that the motorbikes and organisation car in front of the break on stage 11 of the Tour de France aided the winning group
Etixx-Quick Step manager Patrick Lefevere described the positioning of motorbikes and an organiser's car in front of the decisive four-man break on stage 11 of the Tour de France as 'outrageous'.
On paper, the stage looked to be one for the sprinters, with Etixx's Marcel Kittel looking for his second victory of the race, but in reality crosswinds and a late attack by Tinkoff and Team Sky riders ended the chances for the fast men.
But Lefevere believes Chris Froome, Geraint Thomas, Peter Sagan and Macej Bodnar were aided by the motorbikes and car in front of them as the peloton couldn't close the gap.
"Why did those ten motorbikes and the red car of the Tour organisation get so close to the four?" he said, quoted in Het Laatste Nieuws.
"The whole peloton sat on their gums, but if they try to ride around in hot pursuit it should be at least fair. And sorry, that was not the case.
"The red car should [set a] good example and it was barely 50 metres for the leading group.
"I have ridden a bicycle a bit myself and I can tell you: that soon saves 20 kph. Certainly with such a four strong riders. I find no excuses, they certainly deserved it. But that behavior of the engines was outrageous."
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
Lefevere had a similar complaint when Greg Van Avermaet (BMC) almost soloed to victory in the final kilometres of Dwars door Vlaanderen in March. People on Twitter pointed out that Etixx had benefited from a similar situation in the same race when Niki Terpstra won in 2014.
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
Stuart Clarke is a News Associates trained journalist who has worked for the likes of the British Olympic Associate, British Rowing and the England and Wales Cricket Board, and of course Cycling Weekly. His work at Cycling Weekly has focused upon professional racing, following the World Tour races and its characters.
-
Has cycling's most affordable pro bike brand just launched its aero machine?
Van Rysel set to equip Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale with new RCR-F in 2025
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Even if you ride a lot, here's why you shouldn't skip leg day at the gym
Think your legs get enough exercise? A little gym time can unlock big strength and performance gains.
By Greg Kaplan Published
-
Peter Sagan finishes second in last ever professional race
Former three time road world champion was the runner up in the Slovakian national MTB championships on Sunday
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Chris Froome misses out on Tour de France selection
39-year-old absent from Israel-Premier Tech's eight-rider roster
By Tom Davidson Published
-
'It's a miracle': The inside story of how Peter Sagan ended up on a team called Pierre Baguette
Six years after the dream first took root, Boris Horváth finally has Peter Sagan on his team
By Tom Davidson Published
-
Peter Sagan confident of return to bike in 15 days after latest heart procedure
Sagan recently underwent second operation in Italy to tackle heart rhythm related issues
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Peter Sagan undergoes second heart procedure, as Olympics nears
Return to training after first operation reveals further heart rhythm issues
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Peter Sagan undergoes heart procedure after experiencing ‘tachycardic episode’
Slovakian has ablation procedure in Italian hospital after heart rate exceeded 200 bpm during MTB race in Spain
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
A complete history of Ineos Grenadiers kits, from Adidas to Gobik, via Rapha
The British team switch to Gobik in 2024 after two years with Bioracer
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Chris Froome's boss rubbishes claims bike fit is behind lack of results
'He can talk about his bike position until the cows come home - that's still not going to earn him a position on a Grand Tour team' says Israel-Premier Tech team owner Sylvan Adams
By Tom Thewlis Published