“], “filter”: { “nextExceptions”: “img, blockquote, div”, “nextContainsExceptions”: “img, blockquote, a.btn, a.o-button”} }”>
Heading out the door? Read this article on the new Outside+ app available now on iOS devices for members!
>”,”name”:”in-content-cta”,”type”:”link”}}”>Download the app.
MATARO, Spain (Velo) — Big name riders Remco Evenepoel, Geraint Thomas, and Jonas Vingegaard vented their frustration Sunday at the Vuelta a España as controversy continues to ripple across the peloton.
Rider anger and frustration reached a boiling point at the Vuelta, and it spilled over Sunday at the start of stage 2 as heavy rain and wind continued to pelt the peloton.
A day after some teams raced in near-dark conditions in Saturday’s team time trial, riders and teams woke up Sunday without hearing any sort of official apology or comment from Vuelta race officials.
And to make matters worse, efforts by race officials to take Sunday’s finishing time atop the Montjuïc climb on a tight urban finishing circuit, but leave time bonuses in place at the finish line about 3.6km later only tugged on frayed nerves.
“We are just pawns in the game,” Ineos Grenadiers rider Thomas said. “We are not happy with it.
“I don’t think it changes much at all,” he said of the decision. “That finishing circuit is crazy, left, right, whatever, and the roads are quite slippery because it hasn’t rained here in so long. This isn’t any sort of compromise. There was no sort of apology or anything.”
Race officials later changed those rules, and agreed to take the GC time at the entrance to a technical finishing circuit with 9km to go, but time bonuses at Montjuïc and at the finish line will remain.
That decision was taken after the race started, and the message was passed along to riders and teams.
Also read:
With rain, cold, and wind expected to pelt Sunday’s second stage that dips into the hills north of Barcelona, race officials initially decided to take the official GC times at the top of the short but steep Cat. 3 Montjuïc climb at 3.6km from the finish line.
Three-time Vuelta winner Primož Roglič (Jumbo-Visma), speaking before rules were changed again, said the tweaks are not necessarily safer with the time bonuses still in play.
“It’s hard to agree how much safer it is to take the time at the top of the climb, because then it is down and then it up again,” Roglič said. “I don’t really think it is a safer decision. We will see how we do it today with the whole bunch, and we will see what is the best approach.”
Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma) suggested that riders ride at a neutralized pace in the closing 10km to take the pressure out of the technical finale.
Remco Evenepoel: ‘Taking the time at Montjuïc makes no sense at all’
Evenepoel spoke to the media before the start of Sunday’s stage. (Photo: Andrew Hood/Velo)
Defending Vuelta champ Remco Evenepoel, who unloaded on race organizers after racing in near-dark conditions in Saturday’s time trial, couldn’t hold back his frustration.
Speaking to the media outside the team bus before Sunday’s start, Evenepoel didn’t hold back.
“[The decision] makes no sense. We asked them to take the time at the start of the circuit, but they completely ignored it,” Evenepoel said. “They blew off that request. It looks like they are still not listening to us.
“We tried to ask to take the time gaps with 7-8km to go at the start of the circuit, but they ignored it. Even after yesterday, we don’t get a little bit of respect from the organization. It’s a shame,” Evenepoel told journalists as he stood under an awning at the team bus.
“Now we have to race, and taking the time at the top of Montjuïc makes no sense at all, because there are still bonifications, which will keep the race going,” he said. “And if you have 5-6 seconds lead on top of Montjuïc, you will keep going with that gap to the finish line. It changes nothing.”
📢 OFFICIAL UPDATE : 🌧️ The times for the general classification of the stage will be taken 9 kilometres from the finish, before the entrance to the Montjuïc circuit.
⏱️ The bonuses will be maintained.#LaVuelta23 pic.twitter.com/tz4oZpZNnk
— La Vuelta (@lavuelta) August 27, 2023
Those comments came before the stage started, and before the decision was taken to take the time at 9km to go.
Evenepoel even hinted at a possible rider protest during the stage.
“I think we should. That is the only way make the organization realize they should listen a bit more to us, and respect us,” Evenepoel said. “Especially after yesterday, we deserve some more respect, but it looks like they really don’t care.”
Race director defends team time trial
Race director Javier Guillén said Saturday’s team time trial was confounded by events beyond the control of the race.
“Conditions yesterday surprised everyone. The darkness that came was the result of a storm that forecasts didn’t indicate would be of that magnitude,” Guillén said. “And concerning what Evenepoel said, we remind everyone that the safety of the riders is paramount.
“We couldn’t do anything about the dark conditions, it was something that ensued, and could not have been expected,” Guillén told EFE. “We knew it could rain, but not that nature would ‘turn off’ like it did.”
Perhaps word of Evenepoel’s comments and pressure from teams filtered back to race officials, and a decision was taken Sunday to change the GC point to 9km. Evenepoel pointed out that he expected the time bonuses to still provoke action in the bunch.
Weather improved as the stage unfolded, and rain was replaced by strong winds.