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Dutch bike owner Dylan Groenewegen was actually and figuratively a damaged man following a crash virtually two years in the past which had dire penalties for him and Tour de France rival Fabio Jakobsen.
It was August 2020 on the Tour of Poland, and the pair had been using in opposition to one another, facet by facet in a high-speed end, eyeing victory, when Groenewegen squeezed Jakobsen into the boundaries.
There have been no winners that day.
Jakobsen was positioned into an induced coma after crashing by way of the barrier, struggling horrific facial accidents that required a number of surgical procedures.
Groenewegen broke his collarbone, was suspended from competitors for 9 months for deviating from his line and required police safety after receiving dying threats.
That each males later returned to the winner’s circle is a real testomony to their resolve.
For the primary time because the unhappy story, Groenewegen will return to the Tour de France, which begins tonight, able to face off in opposition to race debutant Jakobsen (Fast-Step Alpha Vinyl) and different billed sprinters together with Australian Caleb Ewan (Lotto Soudal).
The four-time Tour stage winner headlines the Australian-registered BikeExchange-Jayco staff, which he joined at the start of this season in what was a recent begin following a protracted tenure at Dutch squad Jumbo-Visma.
BikeExchange-Jayco sports activities director Matt White recognised the ridicule Groenewegen endured for his involvement within the crash, which fiercely divided public opinion and the peloton, however added that the demons from it have been exorcised because the 29-year-old goals to profit from restricted alternatives for sprinters at this yr’s Tour.
“He is clearly moved on. I feel he is gained [several] races since,” White instructed ABC.
“But it surely’s one thing nobody needs to occur. II’s one thing that, , anybody can be mendacity to say you overlook about issues that occur like that in your profession.
White contrasted Groenewegen’s previous case with an incident on the Criterium du Dauphine in June the place Sebastian Molano and Hugo Web page had been concerned in a heated altercation following some dicey race strikes.
“Molano from UAE [Team Emirates] punched a bloke twice two weeks in the past and did not even get suspended,” he continued.
“So, it’s fairly hypocritical. The suspension that was handed out to Dylan in comparison with a fantastic that was handed out to a man who bodily punched a bloke two occasions after which went after him after the end line.”
Groenewegen will share staff management with Australian Michael Matthews on the Tour. Each champions are aiming for stage victories, which is very necessary to the squad at the moment going through relegation beneath a promotion/relegation system launched this season.
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“It is one thing we’re aware of, and any of these groups within the final seven spots vying for place, they’d be mendacity in the event that they mentioned they don’t seem to be aware of it,” White mentioned.
“However we’re targeted on profitable, we’re targeted on the Tour de France. We have got loads of races off the again of the Tour in August and September up till the center of October, the place we have got a very good plan in place.
“[British sprinter] Simon Yates is not right here, which opens [it] up. We have got our greatest bike rider who’s going to be obtainable to choose up factors within the interval after the Tour as properly.
“However our whole focus now’s on attempting to win a stage of the Tour de France and be as aggressive as we will right here over the subsequent three weeks.”
Groenewegen has celebrated 4 victories this season, profitable two levels in his first race with BikeExchange-Jayco on the Saudi Tour in February.
He rapidly developed a rapport with teammate Luka Mezgec, who White mentioned has been “very important” to his easy integration into the English-speaking squad.
Positioning a sprinter for victory in a tightly packed bunch of riders, racing aggressively and accelerating as much as 70kph may be as key as velocity, and is the place Mezgec suits in. Jakobsen’s squad is the benchmark in positioning.
Groenewegen has additionally altered his preparation, competing in hillier races within the lead-up with the hope of being extra aggressive, particularly contemplating the alternatives for sprinters are stacked within the first and the final week, with hilly terrain and mountain passes to outlive in between.
“When he is gained levels within the Tour de France earlier than, he is simply achieved flat races to arrange, so he is gone to a smaller race, had a few simpler wins, and bought to the Tour and he is gained on the Tour,” White mentioned.
“However anybody who follows the Tour de France, or particularly the way in which we see it within the automobile, a few of these mountain levels he has been, prior to now, the primary man dropped, and it has been an actual wrestle for him to get by way of.
“I feel that is going to carry him actually good over the three weeks. We’re assured that his situation is nearly as good — if not higher — than it is ever been earlier than.
“In the event you’re feeling higher on the finish of these levels, it additionally provides you the power to dash sooner as properly.”
Matthews is aiming to beat undulating levels and has dominated out competing as well as for the inexperienced jersey, which he gained in 2017, however believes the primary week of the Tour might lend itself to one thing arguably higher.
The Tour begins in Copenhagen with a 13.2km time trial adopted by two flat levels that windy situations might affect, earlier than the race strikes to France on Monday.
There, hilly terrain and cobbles await what is going to absolutely be a nervous peloton. It presents a possibility for Matthews to put on the heralded race chief’s yellow jersey for a stint.
“Plenty of riders will probably be attempting to go for that yellow jersey within the first week. It is also one thing we’re very interested by to try to take it,” Matthews mentioned.
In whole, 9 Australians will compete on the 109th version of the Tour, together with Matthews, Luke Durbridge and Nick Schultz at BikeExchange-Jayco and Caleb Ewan at Lotto Soudal, Ben O’Connor — who, with AG2R-Citroen, has ambitions to comply with within the footsteps of Richie Porte and Cadel Evans and end on the rostrum — Jack Haig (Bahrain Victorious), Simon Clarke (Israel-Premier Tech), Chris Hamilton (Group DSM), and Michael Storer (Groupama-FDJ), who will make his debut.
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