Soudal-QuickStep boss Patrick Lefevere tried to place the fracas round his criticism of his rider Julian Alaphilippe to mattress on the pre-Opening Weekend press convention with a non-apology, however the polemics have continued, with Geraint Thomas weighing in throughout his podcast this week.
Lefevere made cringe-worthy accusations that the Frenchman’s lack of efficiency was as a result of he partied an excessive amount of. He additionally tried to pin the blame on Alaphilippe’s companion Marion Rousse, who was not amused and laid into Lefevere in a social media submit.
With Alaphilippe out of contract on the finish of 2024, TotalEnergies supervisor Jean-René Bernaudeau mentioned that the rider, who had an inspirational run within the Tour de France yellow jersey in 2019, was welcome on his group.
Thomas interviewed Alaphilippe earlier than the brouhaha for the Geraint Thomas Biking Membership podcast however prefaced the chat with commentary in regards to the Frenchman’s run-in along with his boss.
“It was bonkers,” Thomas mentioned. “To be honest, I’ve bought quite a lot of respect for Patrick [Lefevere] and what he is finished through the years with QuickStep – an unbelievable group: the outcomes they have, the outcomes they’ve had, how they journey. It is unbelievable the group and the success they’ve had, so I’ve a lot respect for him.”
Lefevere has a historical past of creating controversial statements from his evaluation of girls’s biking to his invoking home violence in describing his former rider Sam Bennett’s return to Bora-Hansgrohe. Thomas mentioned the “outbursts” have been “bizarre”.
“For a group boss with a lot historical past and respect from folks … simply form of shedding the plot in public – it is psychological. With Sam Bennett he had this factor and now Alaphilippe.
“As a rider, I really feel sorry for my fellow riders. I do know Sam effectively, much less effectively than Julian, nevertheless it’s simply loopy, the scenario, it should not be finished in public. No matter his ideas like that, simply take care of it behind closed doorways.”
Thomas mentioned that whereas some public criticism can be utilized to encourage athletes, however joked the feedback about Alaphilippe could have been pointing the finger within the incorrect path, saying, “I assumed he was drunk. Perhaps he was, I do not know.”
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