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The 15th stage of the Tour, won in Carcbadonne by Dane Magnus Cort Nielsen, costed a rider to the Sky team on Sunday, the Italian Gianni Moscon, ruled out for violence.
The Welshman Geraint Thomas, who is arrived with the peloton at more than thirteen minutes, kept the orders of the race on the eve of the second day of rest. But he lost, along with his alter ego Chris Froome (2nd), a teammate.
Moscon, already heavy locker despite his young age (24 years), was disqualified for "badault between runners, aggression particularly serious ". Sanction pronounced by the jury of the commissioners in the early evening, after Moscon presented his position through his sports directors.
According to the details of an official at AFP, the Italian blood too hot s Armed with a Fortuneo rider … 500 meters after the start
Last year, Moscon had already reported racist slurs that had earned him an internal suspension by his team. In the autumn, he was accused by the Swiss Sebastien Reichenbach for having caused his fall (fracture of the pelvis). But he had not been sanctioned by the sports authority, apparently for lack of evidence.
– Cort Nielsen fastest –
The incident falls at the wrong time for the Sky team, become the target of a part of the French public who feels more and more bad his domination on the race. Moreover, after the very long wait that led to the clbadification of the abnormal doping control of Froome five days before departure.
Asked about the subject, Thomas acknowledged: "This is not a good situation. the world loves us, it turns out that's not the case, yet we have nothing to reproach ourselves for. "
" Negative feelings around us are not beautiful but I have to stay strong in my head not to crack, "added the Welshman, who attempted a counterattack:" We should also wonder how we are perceived in the French media. "
In the field, his team left as on the day before, a big breakaway of 29 riders after the first hour of a very animated race.
The fastest of the group who contested the gain of the stage in the last ten kilometers, Cort Nielsen s' is imposed easily. Nine years ago, and Nicki Sörensen's success in Vittel, Denmark, a breeding ground for good runners and a candidate for the start of the Grand Tour, was expecting such a success!
At the age of 25, the Dane brought his second success in two days for the Astana team. The day before, the Spaniard Omar Fraile had arrived alone on the heights of Mende
Neophyte of the Tour but already winner of two stages of the Vuelta in 2016, Cort Nielsen benefited from the collaboration of the two riders present with him in the last 7 kilometers: the Dutchman Bauke Mollema, who attacked first, and the Spaniard Ion Izagirre
– Calmejane in tears –
The very tactical final frustrated Lilian Calmejane, also present in the breakaway . After the finish, the "regional" of the stage broke down in tears.
"I do not understand the tactics of some teams," reacted to Calmejane hot that implicated the Trek team of Mollema. "They played with my nerves, they preferred to do third with Mollema, they buried me."
The French, temperament runner, later returned, calm, on his adventurous strategy in progress step. He had risked a raid more than 100 kilometers from the finish … against the advice of his team Direct Energie
"I let myself be intoxicated by the public, my audience. was very far from the finish, I do not know why I did that, I run to instinct ", recognized Calmejane, winner of the stage of Les Rousses.
In the last kilometer, a fall has cast off several runners who were part of the breakaway of the day. And caused the abandonment of the Belgian Serge Pauwels (broken elbow).
For the riders of the general clbadification, the status quo prevailed. The Irishman Dan Martin took the lead on the peloton, in the first part of the Pic de Nore, but he was joined at the bottom of the descent.
As for the Frenchman Romain Bardet, tried to accelerate in the descent, he did not insist after making a slight gap in a turn.
The Tour will observe Monday its second day of rest before the 16th stage leading to Bagnères-de-Luchon
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