German rider John Degenkolb (Giant-Alpecin) is amongst a number of pro cyclists to take to Twitter to criticise the tactics employed by Katusha and Cofidis riders during yesterday’s finish of Stage 1.
Bouhanni won the sprint ahead of Jens Debusschere (Lotto-Soudal) and Sam Bennett (Bora-Argon 18) after a frantic last few kilometres which saw his Cofidis team clash with the Katusha team of Alexander Kristoff.
Footage showed riders from both teams clashing heads which prompted a number of riders to tweet their disapproval of the actions by the lead-out riders.
Degenkolb directed the blame at just the Cofidis team as he took to Twitter to say: “I wonder if @BouhanniNacer &@TeamCOFIDIS are ashamed if they look at the footage of today final…sorry, but that’s too much #cyclingisntboxing”
Dutch rider Roy Curvers, a team-mate of Degenkolb’s suggested that it wasn’t just the responsibility of the UCI and race organisers to ensure safety during races and that riders also not need to take responsibility for their own safety, saying “I think Some Cofidis riders prefered to sit on a canyon bike during the last k’s. Keeping it safe is not only the job of organisers and uci”
However, Curvers’ comment about a Cofidis rider trying to sit on a Katusha rider’s Canyon bike prompted a series of tweets from Bouhanni’s Cofidis team-mate Cyril Lemoine suggesting that the finger was being pointed at Cofidis because they are a French team.
BMC Racing’s Greg van Avermaet who finished in 20th place on the stage was also critical of the behaviour during the finish, saying that “what I saw the last km has nothing to do with bike riding.”
Matteo Trentin of Etixx-Quick Step suggested that the problems in the closing kilometres are due to the presence of the GC teams.
“How much less stressy would be if the GC team just stay in the 2nd line on sprint stage and let the sprinters team make their own stuff?” asked Trentin. “GC riders fighting for position 1.5km to the line on a sprint st are just making all dangerous for all the guys in the group! not intelligent”
This in turn prompted a response from Team Sky’s Luke Rowe who asked: “@MATTEOTRENTIN you watch the race today? I’d say what we did was pretty safe compared to what went on in the last km ???”
It’s not the first time that Bouhanni has been in trouble. In Paris-Nice earlier this season, he was disqualified from the second stage after failing to hold his line.
Bouhanni is a scumbag though! He’s a filthy dirty cyclist. This isn’t the first time he’s caused trouble.
Whatever about the headbutting ect, Trentin has a point about the GC teams. Trying to protect their rider by bringing them up towards the pointy end in the closing stages while all the sprint teams are jockeying for position in the same area seems counter intuitive.
who starts ? Need a real good inquiry, but judges say it was regular. End of discusion.
cycling is a tough competitive sport w/riders of all backgrounds, #sportsmanship is great but people are people, everywhere