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AG2R-La Mondiale withdraws riders from Vuelta after team car towAG2R tow.JPG

AG2R-La Mondiale withdraws riders from Vuelta after team car tow

Nico Denz and Alexandre Geniez were caught on camera accepting illegal assistance during Sunday's stage...
by Simon_MacMichael
Tue, Sep 05, 2017 10:38
8

AG2R-La Mondiale has sent two riders home from the Vuelta after they were filmed holding onto a team car on Sunday's Stage 15 to Sierra Nevada.

The UCI WorldTour team said it had decided to withdraw Nico Denz and Alexandre Geniez “after viewing the video footage that showed two of our riders intentionally holding onto the team car.”

In a statement published on Twitter, Geniez said he had “made a mistake” in holding on to the car.

Regarding his withdrawal from the race, he said: “It’s difficult but I have to accept it.”

He added: “I apologise sincerely to the organisers and the public but also to my team mates for behaviour that goes against the values of my employer.”

Following yesterday's second rest day, rqacing resumes today with a 40.2-kilometre individual time trial from Circuito de Navarra to Logroño.

 

AG2R-La Mondiale
Nico Denz
Alexandre Geniez
Simon MacMichael

Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.

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8 comments

Avatar
dottigirl | 7 years ago
1 like

According to Imlach, the second AG2R car's been chucked out of the race. 

Apparently, the team had taken no internal action against the driver.

I bet there have been a few Gallic shrugs in the AG2R camp. It's not as if they need two cars now, is it?

Avatar
alansmurphy | 7 years ago
3 likes

Can't see a problem, Bardet has been trying to hang on to Chris Froome for 3 years without success...

Avatar
Another David | 7 years ago
1 like

Well, where to start.... Let's see: Indignation at cyclists cheating? Withdrawing because they admitted to cheating or withdrawing due to being caught on film? The driver of the team car didn't know they were there? The DS was in the car and he didn't stop them? The team car will be allowed to continue? They are apologising now? (reference door/stable/horse) And what was that the other day, one of the major teams hasn't enough sponsors? (reference shoot/foot/gun). Pro cycling, the irony continues.

Avatar
Jimnm | 7 years ago
5 likes

It would make it more interesting if the riders ran clinchers and were given a tool and spares kit that we have when we go out.

take cars and spare bikes out of the equation.

no propensity to cheat by hanging onto the car. 

Avatar
Simmo72 replied to Jimnm | 7 years ago
0 likes

Jimnm wrote:

It would make it more interesting if the riders ran clinchers and were given a tool and spares kit that we have when we go out.

take cars and spare bikes out of the equation.

no propensity to cheat by hanging onto the car. 

Because that would be like watching an audax event.  Why stop there, why not give them bikes that weight 30kg, 1 gear, ban tarmac and they have to raid cafe's for a baguette.  

 

Avatar
BehindTheBikesheds replied to Simmo72 | 7 years ago
1 like

Simmo72 wrote:

Jimnm wrote:

It would make it more interesting if the riders ran clinchers and were given a tool and spares kit that we have when we go out.

take cars and spare bikes out of the equation.

no propensity to cheat by hanging onto the car. 

Because that would be like watching an audax event.  Why stop there, why not give them bikes that weight 30kg, 1 gear, ban tarmac and they have to raid cafe's for a baguette.  

utterly ridiculous comparison, Audaxing isn't racing for one thing and what was being described is about reducing the propensity to cheat by removing certain aspects, It doesn't mention about not having feed stations at the side of the road or bags to be able to grab as you go along, something else that doesn't happen in audaxing. Audaxing isn't about increasing weights of bikes or reducing the gearing options either, nor was that mentioned. 

To get to where you have from the posters suggestions you must live in a fantasy world!

Avatar
kitkat | 7 years ago
0 likes

My favourite car tow video....

http://www.stickybottle.com/latest-news/video-the-tow-from-a-team-car-th...

Avatar
Jimbomitch | 7 years ago
0 likes

Were they withdrawn because of the tow....................... or because it was filmed.

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