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T The temperature rises as the Tour de France heads for the Pyrenees, on and off the road. But the peloton will be less eager to enter the final stages of the mountain, following the expulsion of Team Sky's Gianni Moscon, who was disqualified for what race judges called "serious aggression" on Sunday night.
. Moscon's defeat with Frenchman Elie Gesbert, Team Sky's director, Dave Brailsford, dismissed the impact that his absence could have on the team as the race enters its final run.
"It will not affect us as much as it would have done earlier in the race," he said. "The steps where this would have really stretched us are probably behind us so its impact on the team will mean that some riders will have to do a little more work.The level of impact it has on the race , I'm not so sure. "
Brailsford was also eager to point out other growing pressures that may have pushed his talented but volatile rider on board, including the French public's hostility towards Team Sky. Following the disqualification of Moscon, it was delivered as if the Italian had been provoked beyond measure. But Moscon, as talented as he is, has a form.
He was suspended six weeks last year by Team Sky for abusing French rider Kevin Reza, and followed a training course in adversity. A few months later, while he was resuming the race, he was accused of deliberately pushing the Swiss driver Sebastian Reichenbach off his bike, in recrimination for Reichenbach's critics on social media, although he did not feel like he was in trouble. he was cleared after an investigation by the UCI. And last fall, he was disqualified from the World Road Race Championships after being filmed holding a team car.
After the incident involving Reza, Team Sky issued a statement about Moscon's behavior saying that "any repetition will result in the end of his contract."
Moscon's behavior provoked the of the newly elected UCI President on his head. "What Moscon told Kevin Reza was unacceptable and goes completely against what the UCI defends," said David Lappartient. "I'm looking closely at the Moscon case."
There was another statement released by Team Sky after Moscon's last indiscretion. "Gianni is desperately disappointed with his behavior and knows that he's let go, the team and the race," he says.
But it was not a secret that this year's Tour would sometimes look like a challenge for Sky runners. Staff. Although some behaviors towards their staff were inexcusable, Brailsford and his management team were well aware of the hostile climate that he and his riders were likely to inhabit.
"We have been talking about safety and security for a long time and we had some members of the BSkyB security team come to spend time with us, just to advise us on how we operate and improve our safety during races. ", said Tim Kerrison, the coach of Froome, at the Guardian before the start of the race." We also know that there will also be a small part of the crowd that will be hostile and a few people who are hostile and particularly hostile, "added Kerrison
.From the media, Thomas and Froome both downplayed the latest news from Moscon: loss of calm." We do not choose who comes in the team " said Thomas. "It's management. We are obviously disappointed to lose him, and for his actions obviously. "
But despite Brailsford's assurances, the loss of Moscon could prove costly." All the team is disappointed to be a man down last week, "Froome said. with laconization.
As each team of this year's Tour is reduced from one runner to eight, losing a single man has a domino effect. Team Sky's co-leadership policy reduces their team of seven men to just At the end of the tour, it may not be a problem but with three upcoming Pyrenean stages, the workload of these five players will increase, because if there is a battle inside Team Sky and new indignant fans,
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