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Warren Barguil kicked off the Vuelta for not following team ordersWarren Barguil in polka dots at 2017 Tour de France (image credit Cor Vos via Team Sunweb).jpg

Warren Barguil kicked off the Vuelta for not following team orders

Frenchman said he was “eager to attack in the mountains”
by Alex Bowden
Sat, Aug 26, 2017 11:26
7

Tour de France polka dot jersey winner Warren Barguil has been kicked off the Vuelta a Espana by Team Sunweb for failing to obey team orders.

The Frenchman had been in 13th place, one place and two seconds ahead of Sunweb's designated team leader, Wilco Kelderman, who lost 17 seconds as a result of a puncture near the end of yesterday’s stage.

In a statement, the team said: "The 25-year-old talented rider, a winner of two stages and the mountains jersey at the Tour de France, openly expressed that he didn't wish to conform to team goals, which left Team Sunweb with no other option than to take this decision.

“Working according to a team plan with clear goals is deeply anchored in the team's way of working. Since 2008 this has been the basis of the gradual growth and success of Team Sunweb, therefore is a value that cannot be varied. The team appreciates Barguil's openness about his motives at the Vuelta.”

Barguil is of course leaving the team at the end of the season to join Fortuneo-Oscaro.

Reacting to the decision, he said: "I have to leave the Vuelta by the decision of the team. I feel very well and have good legs. I see myself in different a role and am eager to attack in the mountains, as I did in the Tour. The Vuelta is a great race and it is disappointing to leave but this is a decision from the team that I need to accept."

Warren Barguil
2017 Vuelta a Espana
team sunweb
Alex Bowden

Alex has written for more cricket publications than the rest of the road.cc team combined. Despite the apparent evidence of this picture, he doesn't especially like cake.

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7 comments

Avatar
Cupov | 7 years ago
1 like

That voice...

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1961BikiE | 7 years ago
0 likes

Makes you wonder why they took him unless they were short of warm bodies to enter.

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atlaz replied to 1961BikiE | 7 years ago
2 likes

1961BikiE wrote:

Makes you wonder why they took him unless they were short of warm bodies to enter.

as a Domestique-de-luxe and backup for Kelderman. Given his reason for leaving Sunweb was that he wanted to hunt stage wins not GC positions or support his team mates (particularly Dumoulin at the Tour in 2018), his behaviour isn't that much of a shock. 

Avatar
ColT | 7 years ago
2 likes

Gallic shrug

 

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dottigirl | 7 years ago
9 likes

They've lost him already - he's signed for another team. 

He has form for being a selfish twat - this is the same guy who stupidly tried to undertake on a descent and wiped out Geraint Thomas at the TDF - the one where G hit a pole rather than fall into a ravine. I don't recall Barguil ever apologising for that stunt.

Barguil was only ahead of Kelderman on GC as he refused to support him yesterday. When you have team mates like that, who needs enemies?

 

 

Avatar
sammutd88 | 7 years ago
1 like

Team Sunweb need to look at their structure and realise that they have probably just lost a superstar. I understand their reasoning but they’ve had the wrong strategy from the get go. 

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HalfWheeler replied to sammutd88 | 7 years ago
4 likes

sammutd88 wrote:

Team Sunweb need to look at their structure and realise that they have probably just lost a superstar. I understand their reasoning but they’ve had the wrong strategy from the get go. 

"Barguil is of course leaving the team at the end of the season to join Fortuneo-Oscaro."

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