"This exclusion will not make Sky runners more popular"

The Italian Gianni Moscon a teammate of Chris Froome in the Sky formation, was excluded from the Tour de France for an altercation Sunday during the 15th stage. Moscon attacked another rider at the start of the stage shortly after leaving Millau. Unfortunately, this is not the first time that the Italian rider has come to the fore, as our consultant Gérard Bulens reminds us of Samuël Grulois. " He was ruled out at the world championships last year for clinging to a car after a puncture, and there are suspicions that Sebastian Reichenbach, who had a fractured pelvis, fell. He was not suspended because there was no evidence but I can not see a runner pointing at another if nothing happened, he also made racist remarks about Kevin Reza And today a blow … "

According to the details of an official, the Italian packed a rider of the Fortuneo team, who wanted to protect the escape attempt of his leader Warren Barguil and made a violent gesture. The incident was described as "particularly serious aggression" and the jury of the commissioners decided in the early evening.

" His gesture is sanctioned.It is provided by the regulations " chained Gerard Bulens. " The force of the impact is of little importance, it is the gesture that counts.The regulation is applied, there is nothing to add. "

Sky loses the one of his 8 riders. " He puts his team in serious trouble, he is one of the 3 riders of the formation, he is used when it is necessary to limit the gaps, to react and to roll in the plain." The Sky team is thus weakened by a personal fault of a boy who does not realize the consequences that it could have. "

Will this exclusion give ideas to some competitors of Geraint Thomas and Chris Froome? " This will undoubtedly awaken some ideas among competitors to destabilize the Sky team " concludes Gerard Bulens. " Sky is going to want to defend itself and is probably going to attack … I expect to have a less defensive Sky team, more protagonist in the 1st stage of the Pyrenees." "

The objective would be so to knock out the Tour to avoid having to react with a runner less? " Yes, because if you knock in the first stage, you're going to kill the competitors mentally.There will be less work to do afterwards, but we'll see the decision of the Sky team." But one thing is certain. This exclusion will not make Sky runners more popular on the Tour's routes, and they will have to expect even more public reaction. "