No hard feelings. The cyclist Thibaut Pinot, 33 years old and recently retired, and the Dutch manager of the Jumbo-Visma team, Richard Plugge, were seen toasting in Tignes (Savoie). The Franc-Comtois even published a photo on Instagram. An ironic way of burying the hatchet after the controversy between the two camps during the Tour de France.
Asked about suspicions regarding the performance of his team, Plugge defended the discipline of his riders and addressed a tackle to Groupama-FDJ, Pinot’s team. “We also look around us to see what others are doing. For example, we were with a French team (this is Groupama-FDJ, editor’s note) at our hotel during the rest day (Monday, the day before the time trial, editor’s note). We saw runners drinking large beers, he said in an interview given in the columns of L’Équipe.
Enough to make Marc Madiot, manager of the French team, come off his hinges: “It’s pathetic, pitiful, petty, shameful. Let him shut his mouth. Let him shut the fuck up! On the day of rest there is traditionally a drink with the staff. The staff drank beers. But the runners only from Perrier, he got carried away with the Parisian. All is forgiven.
