More support for Julian Alaphilippe.
Denigrated by his team boss on February 20 for his lifestyle, the French rider has just received encouragement from Geraint Thomas, winner of the 2018 Tour de France.
The Ineos rider especially strongly criticized the exit of Patrick Lefevere against the double world champion.
“Julian is a good guy.
But after signing his mega contract, we didn't see him anymore, explains Lefevere.
Too many parties and too much alcohol... He is seriously under the spell of Marion (Editor's note: Rousse, his partner),” said the number 1 of Soudal-Quick Step.
“I feel sorry for my colleagues”
“This kind of excess is a bit weird,” Geraint Thomas reacted in his own podcast.
For a team boss with so much history and respect from people, it's a bit like he's losing his temper in public, actually, it's mental.
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The Briton was keen to point out that this was not a first for Lefevere who had also undermined his former runner, the sprinter Sam Bennett: “As a runner, I feel sorry for my colleagues, you know.
This is a crazy situation that should not happen in public.
I like public criticism, if it's good for the person!
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Geraint Thomas even confided that he had difficulty believing Lefevere's words.
“I thought Lefevere was drunk, to be honest.
Maybe he was, I don’t know,” he explained with a smile.
For his part, the boss of the Belgian team, without apologizing, denied having made exactly this type of comment: “My Dutch is perhaps not always well understood, but I perhaps being deceived myself in speaking of this.
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