[ad_1]
Stage 11 of the Tour de France will be largely remembered for its final sprint, and the controversy which grew out of Peter Sagan’s (Bora-Hansgrohe) move over Wout van Aert in the race to the line.
The largely calm day also saw some other notable incidents. While Sam Bennett (Deceuninck-QuickStep) tightened his grip on the green jersey after Sagan’s point deductions, there was an early and desperate break from Groupama-FDJ’s Mathieu Ladagnous, while Astana’s Ion Izagirre dropped out of the race after an accident .
However, Sagan’s descent was the big story, so we will approach it from a different angle: what did personalities from around the cycling world think?
Read on for the news clips from stage 11 of the Tour de France.
Reactions to Sagan’s speed move
The confirmation that the race officials relegated Peter Sagan (Bora-Hansgrohe) for dangerous sprints after stage 11 of the Tour de France quickly circulated throughout the cycling world prompting a series of reactions on social networks.
Sagan was part of the final sprint to Poitiers, where he crossed the finish line in second place behind stage winner Caleb Ewan (Lotto Soudal). Sagan was later relegated to the back of the group after officials reviewed video footage showing him shoving Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma) on the shoulder to push him out of the way and create space to move to the finish line.
Officials determined that his sprint was against the UCI road race regulations section 2.12.007, 5.1 and relegated Sagan to 85th place on the stage and deducted the points he earned at the end (30) as well as a quarter of stage winner Ewan’s points. (12.5 rounded to 13).
Van Aert and Sagan exchanged heated words after crossing the line. Van Aert, along with his teammate Jumbo-Visma and race leader Primož Roglič, later said that they agreed with the officials’ decision to relegate Sagan.
While some members of the cycling community also agreed with the ruling, others did not, suggesting that sprinters should not be punished for using their skills.
Retired pro Taylor Phinney voiced support for the extreme scenarios and skills sprinters use during sprints, but also balanced his reaction with concern about the obvious dangers involved in sprints.
“Dangerous? Yes. Rude? Also yes … Respect and the rest of the sprinters as they are among the craziest extreme sports athletes in the world (I mean this in both applicable ways) … leave it to tdf to get back on Twitter! ! “
Dangerous? Yes. Rude? Also yes … Respect to @petosagan and the rest of the sprinters as they are among the craziest extreme sports athletes in the world (I say this in both applicable forms) … leave it to tdf to get me back on Twitter ! pic.twitter.com/R17TQEKjhgSeptember 9, 2020
Brian Cookson, former UCI president, did not think too highly of Sagan’s move, saying on Twitter: “I’m sorry, but that was an outrageously dangerous move by Peter Sagan.”
Sorry, but that was a scandalously dangerous move by Peter Sagan.September 9, 2020
Hugo Hofstetter, a 26-year-old sprinter participating in the Israel Start-Up Nation, came close to the skirmish at the finish line in Poitiers, finishing eighth on stage 11. After running five seasons with Cofidis, it is his first year at Israel. Start-Up Nation, and took to Twitter to give his opinion to Sagan, a former Israel Start-Up pilot.
“With all due respect to you, if I don’t break, right now, me and maybe other guys are in the hospital right now … I’m very disappointed …” Hofstetter wrote, noting that he doesn’t use Twitter often. .
Hi @petosagan I never use tweeter but … with all due respect I have for you, if I don’t break, right now I and maybe other guys are in the hospital now … I’m very disappointed … pic.twitter. com / FXmOdScx7USeptember 9, 2020
Trek-Segafredo’s Quinn Simmons, the 19-year-old world junior champion who finished second overall at the Tour de Hungary last week, took to Twitter with a different angle on the situation at the Tour de France.
“This sport sure does a good job of hurting itself, the sport needs to entertain athletes and actions. Not to punish him. Sagan showed his skill and Van Aert showed some personality. It’s not something to punish,” he said.
This sport sure does a good job of hurting itself, the sport needs to entertain athletes and actions. Not to punish him. Sagan showed his skill and Van Aert showed a certain personality. It is not something to punish. https://t.co/8ZQosRiYzYSeptember 9, 2020
Ladagnous’ doomed solo getaway
For the second day in a row, a Groupama-FDJ rider launched an attack that resulted in a more combative award than a stage victory. Stefan Küng took a chance on stage 10 on a break, twice, and on stage 11 it was Matthieu Ladagnous.
The 35-year-old Frenchman called his solo attack lonely, but said the team had nothing to lose. He jumped in front for just four minutes on the Chatelaillon-Plagne road and stayed in front for over 117 kilometers.
“I saw a stage where we had nothing to play for. We don’t have a sprinter and we no longer have the overall to think about. Yesterday Stefan [Kung] came into the break, and today I had a chance, “Ladagnous said after the 167.5 km stage at Televisions of France.
“I was hoping other guys would come with me, but I found myself completely alone. I rode. The wind was against me, but I tried to do my best and enjoyed it anyway. I think it’s the only getaway I’ve ever had. made on my own so I made the most of it. “
Matthieu Ladagnous’s lonely escape comes to an end. The peloton operates the crossing 45 kilometers from the finish line. # TDF2020 pic.twitter.com/RUo2YncZ3VSeptember 9, 2020
Izagirre retires after accident
Astana Pro Team leader Miguel Ángel López finished stage 11 safely in the main peloton to maintain his ninth place overall, but two of his teammates were involved in crashes, one of which sent Ion Izagirre to a local hospital.
Alexey Lutsenko fell at the beginning of the stage in a roundabout in which Ilnur Zakarin (CCC Team) and Cyril Gautier (B&B Hotels-Vital Concept) also participated. All the riders were able to get back on and continue.
Izagirre was involved in a severe accident in the last 30 kilometers of the race. Immediately after his accident, the 31-year-old Spaniard was taken to hospital in Poitiers for a medical check-up, the team said on its website.
“It was not our day with two crashes by Alexey Lutsenko and Ion Izagirre. Alexey escaped with some minor injuries, while Ion had a really bad accident. We all hope that everything is fine with him,” said Dmitriy Fofonov, team principal. “If we talk about the stage, our main objective today was to protect Miguel Ángel López and we did it perfectly.”
The team posted an update on Twitter in Izagirre, saying: “Our rider was diagnosed with a right clavicle fracture and a right third metacarpal fracture. In addition, he has multiple stitches on his chin and cheek. Ion will spend tonight in the hospital with medical attention “. supervision.”
[ad_2]
