Tour de France, Director Prudhomme: "I Was Not a Team Sky Supporter"

Rome, 24 November 2024 - In cycling, as in all sports, hegemonies tend not to arouse sympathy among fans, but not only: if then even the director of the Tour de France if he lets his antipathy shine through for a team that in the recent past has dominated his race far and wide, then the picture is complete.  

Prudhomme's statements

  The protagonists are, in order, Christian Prudhomme and the then TeamSky, a long-time victorious duo but without ever receiving unanimous acclaim from the public, not particularly enthusiastic about a cycling style defined as too tactical and almost robotic: a bit the opposite of what happens today thanks to the creativity of champions like jonas vingegaard and especially Tadej pogacar, accustomed to putting on a show in the most anticipated stages. "I wasn't a fan of the era Sky. In those years the race was too controlled, blocked, with attacks limited to a few hundred meters from the finish. Now the Tour de France he's back unpredictable, with long-distance shots and constantly changing situations. This is the cycling we like: the one that's all or nothing". As he confessed to the microphones of Midi Libre, Prudhomme I particularly liked the Great Boucle of the 2022, defined as absolutely fantastic, but also that of the 2023: it may be a coincidence or maybe not, but the two won by vingegaard, with some malicious voice that hypothesizes a lack of sympathy from the director towards the 'cannibalism' of pogacar. It ends with the regret that in France It's been going on for almost 40 years of not having a home rider capable of dreaming of victory. "The ideal would be to have a david gaudu strong like a few years ago: a transalpine fighting for the podium or even for the final success would give a whole different flavour to the race".

Martinelli's statements

  To the microphones of Race Radio, broadcast on Rai Sport, instead he spoke Beppe Martinelli, dean of the flagship, from which he will step down next year but only to dream big. "More than once they asked me if I would like to be the coach. Now that I have left theAstana Qazaqstan Team and that I am a little more serene I say yes, but without taking anything away from anyone: on the contrary, adding something like the experience to help this world that I love". But first we will have to decide the future of Daniele bennati. "I have a good relationship with the current coach, who was also a rider of mine: if they need me, I am available, even if I think it is difficult at the moment". Also because of the shortage of good Italian cyclists. "Perhaps these difficulties are more attractive, because it almost becomes a challenge. However, there are champions in front of you and so it is difficult to do well even if you have good riders. Unfortunately, the lack of teams also weighs: even a couple more Professional would help keep young people from leaving." As Lorenzo Mark Finnand Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe. "He has incredible class and will be our future, but it's a shame that he has to do it in a foreign team."

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