The team boss of Tadej Pogacar played down the braking manoeuvre against his star by two motorbikes.
Tour de France organisation takes action
"This is the tour, so many people everywhere. The motorbike shouldn't have been there, but the photographers just wanted to do their job," said UAE boss Mauro Gianetti. The 59-year-old is not thinking of lodging a complaint. Instead, the Tour de France organisation ASO took action.
The incident
Pogacar attacked defending champion Jonas Vingegaard around 500 metres before the top of the Col de Joux Plane pass and had to brake just a few metres later on the steep climb. A photographer's bike and a TV motorbike rode side by side and blocked the road. Pogacar admitted at the finish in Morzine that he had lacked power in the sprint for the bonus seconds at the summit as a result. As a result, Vingegaard took three seconds more than the overall runner-up.
The penalty
The ASO was still acting on Saturday evening. The two motorbike riders as well as the cameraman and the photographer were not allowed to take part in Sunday's 15th stage to Saint-Gervais on Mont Blanc. In addition, both crews were fined 500 Swiss francs (around 515 euros). According to the regulations, motorcyclists in particular are required to keep a sufficient distance from the riders at all times.
One day after the braking manoeuvre, the motorbike photographer apologised. "I'm not going to defend the indefensible. We shouldn't be in this situation. I should have asked my biker to distance me faster and earlier," said Bernard Papon, an employee of the French sports newspaper "L'Equipe".
The effects
There is still a consensus that the bonus seconds will not play a role in the end. "I don't believe that the Tour will be won by three seconds in Paris," said Rolf Aldag, head of sport at the German team Bora-hansgrohe. There used to be such disruptions from time to time, but today's riders are much faster. "They have an acceleration that is like a sprint final. By the time the motorcyclist turns the throttle, the racer is already in the boot."
The nuisance
Regardless of the incident, Bora pro Nils Politt was bothered by the fact that the Tour is getting tighter and tighter. "It's extreme at times," said the German time trial champion. "It should be restricted somehow," he said, adding that the riders should be able to ride freely. However, there was enough space at the end of the Joux Plane, and the fans were held back by police officers and a rope.
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