For the first time since 2012, the team is without a stage win after half a race. By comparison, last year was also modest for Lefevere’s chosen ones, but even then they stood with two victories after the first two stages.
– I am not a man of statistics, but I read everywhere that it is the first time since 2012 that we have not won a stage in the first half of the Tour. It’s embarrassing, we can’t call it anything else, writes Lefevere in his regular column in the Belgian newspaper The newspapaer.
Sprint cannon Fabio Jakobsen went down on the fourth stage and later had to break the race. In his absence, crowd favorite Julian Alaphilippe has also failed to assert himself, and Soudal-Quick-Step went into the first rest day in last place in prize money.
Lefevere believes the French star “makes a good living” and that he must improve his performances.
– He is still France’s most popular rider and the most charming person on a sponsor’s night. But of course: I have him in the team to win races, not to be charming.
2023-07-15 11:03:24
#Cycling #summit #big #teams #Tour #drought #Embarrassing
