Primoz Roglic says he didn't benefit from the TV moto. However, both Dan Martin and Tom Dumoulin believe the TV moto was a big factor.
Dan Martin says TV moto helped Roglic win Tour stage 19
Ireland’s Dan Martin has said he dug deep at the Tour de France today in a bid to win the stage only to see the TV moto play a role in the outcome.
Martin explained that stage winner Primoz Roglic (LottoNL-Jumbo) had broken clear on the 20km descent into the finish behind a TV moto.
He said he wasn’t blaming Roglic. Tom Dumoulin echoed Martin’s remarks on the role played by the TV moto.
Dan Martin said the racing was very aggressive, though everyone in the Tour was now exhausted.
And while he would look back on it fondly in time, immediately after the finish he was “very, very tired”.
Advertisement
“I didn't know it was a headwind sprint,” Martin said of being 3rd in the sprint from the seven-man chase group 19 seconds behind Roglic.
He then added: “And obviously Roglic got away on the downhill with the TV motorbike. But that's not his fault.
“It's a pity we couldn't go for the stage win. It was in the back of my mind. That's why I held on for so long on the climb.
“It was a bit dodgy going down there in the mist. But that's what makes it the Tour.”
Related News
Geraint Thomas takes the sprint for 2nd some nineteen seconds behind Roglic; Dan Martin on left of photo. The groupetto. The riders climb through the fans.
Dumoulin was more outspoken about the role the TV moto ahead of the lead group on the descent had played in Roglic’s win.
He said it made no sense to protest about what happened. But he was “fucking pissed” about it.
“Roglic was the strongest today,” Dumoulin explained of how the eventual winner attacked both up and down the final climb.
“He was flying downhill. Eventually I got dropped on a straight part just because he was on his tube and full in the slipstream of the motorbike.
“I was sprinting to his wheel and I couldn't get any closer. I just got dropped on the only straight part of the downhill. It's ridiculous really.”
Dumoulin losing time to Roglic means the Slovenian is now closer to him overall. The gap is just 19 seconds ahead of the 31km TT tomorrow.
Primoz Roglic disputes TV moto impact
Roglic said while there was a moto ahead of him, he did not benefit because he was not close enough in the finale of Tour stage 19.
“The bike in front of me on the descent? I was not in his (slipstream) and I did not benefit," he said.
“I was not thinking of the podium when I attacked; just thinking of the stage victory.
“We were all tired, the day was very difficult. I knew that the slightest gap would be difficult to plug in the descent. I pressed hard on the pedals.
“When I heard that I was five seconds early, I gave everything until the end and it was worth it."
Topics
