Eurométropole Tour – Oliver Naesen – No regrets, but very angry –

03 October 2016

IAM Cycling

 

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THE FACT OF THE DAY

Oliver Naesen took second place in a very controversial sprint. Though IAM Cycling lodged an official complaint, the jury of commissioners ruled that Dylan Groenewegen (JumboNL-Lotto) would remain the winner of the day.

THE QUOTE

From Oliver Naesen: “I have no regrets. But I am very angry. To conduct a sprint as Dylan Groenewegen is shameful. He could have caused me to crash, which would have put my participation at the World Championships in doubt.”

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THE ANALYSIS

“I thought we were going to reach the finish with only the front three riders,” Naesen explained. “And of that small group, I was certainly the fastest. I believed strongly in my chances to take the victory. But then with only a few meters to the line we were caught by the chasers. I launched my sprint at that moment and went to the left side of the road. You know what followed, and we can do nothing to change anything.”

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THE STRAIGHT TALK

From Rik Verbrugghe. “The decision of the jury commissioners is what it is. Nevertheless, I will make a claim to the UCI. My rider had to have crashed in order to declassify the winner, and that’s not normal. In fact, I think Nacer Bouhanni was relegated in Hamburg for less. When the UCI decides to relegate a ride because of a dangerous sprint once, then it must be consistent in the case of another incident.”

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THE FIGHTERS

Simon Pellaud and Marcel Aregger. Present in the second peloton at the finish, both IAM Cycling riders are still without a contract for next year, though they have proved once again their resilience and courage. Only 35 riders managed to finish the race in Tournai.

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THE NUMBER

46.4km/h. That’s the average speed the riders pegged for the first hour of racing on Sunday. Between the hilly profile and the unpredictable weather, that shows what the course demanded.

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Pictures – Mathilde L’Azou & IAM Cycling

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