'A slap in the face' - Reaction to 'pointless' incident that left Wout van Aert 'peeved' at Tour de France
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Updated 21/07/2022 at 09:29 GMT
"He is not in the competition," Adam Blythe said of Nils Eekhoff controversially denying Wout van Aert points on a Stage 16 sprint at the Tour de France. "He is not taking points off anyone for his team-mates behind. So it was just a bit of a… I don't know what he was doing! It was just pointless. It was a waste of energy for the DSM rider and also a bit of a slap in the face to Wout van Aert."
'I thought it was a bit of a joke' - Shock as Eekhoff sprints past Van Aert
Eurosport cycling expert Adam Blythe has given his views on the controversial incident that saw Nils Eekhoff (Team DSM) deny Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma) points at the Tour de France.
Van Aert has said afterwards that it was “sad” that Eekhoff had surged ahead of him to pick up full points during the intermediate sprint on Stage 16. The Belgian had started the day on a near-insurmountable tally of 378 in the green jersey points classification and has since all-but clinched the green jersey at this year's race.
The 27-year-old was left peeved when Eekhoff, who started the day on zero points, needlessly kicked clear near the line of the only intermediate sprint of the stage at Lavelanet. Blythe has been left as baffled as Van Aert by the incident.
"We saw an intermediate sprint, Wout van Aert sitting on the front of a breakaway, and he's in the green jersey," Blythe explained.
"So getting those green jersey points, the maximum, just to top up what he's got. There was a DSM rider that came over the top of him and took those points for no apparent reason.
"He is not in the competition. He is not taking points off anyone for his team-mates behind. So it was just a bit of a… I don't know what he was doing! It was just pointless.
"It was a waste of energy for the DSM rider, and also a bit of a slap in the face to Wout van Aert, just not respecting him getting those points.
"So I don't really know in that situation. Unless you're going to gain anything from it, there is no point in doing it, and that is all the way through cycling, really.
"I can imagine Wout was a little bit peeved off with him."
Van Aert mathematically sealed victory in the points classification during Stage 17 on Wednesday with four-and-a-half stages to spare after he grabbed second place in the intermediate sprint.
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Watch the moment Van Aert all-but confirms green jersey win on Stage 17
He racked up an unassailable lead of 217 points over general classification contender Tadej Pogacar after he came in second behind his countryman, Jasper Philipsen, in the early sprint at La Barthe-de-Neste.
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