Patrick Lefevere has again made extraordinary remarks about Sam Bennett, threatening to cut his pay by 50 per cent and also sideline the Irish rider unless he “behaves”.
Speaking to journalists at the Tour de
France today, the Deceuninck-QuickStep team boss now
seems aggrieved that Bennett did not return one of his phone calls.
“It's more unfortunate for him than it
is for me,” Lefevere told nieuwsblad.be of Bennett. “He
first wept like a small child when he left Bora-hansgrohe and fourteen months
later he signs with the same team because he got a little more money.
“That says more about him than about
me. I have balls on my body, he doesn't. What will happen next Monday? If he
behaves, he will race. And otherwise… Not racing for three months, that is 50
percent less salary.”
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He was also asked if Mark Cavendish – who has replaced Bennett at the Tour - could win a stage and said he believed he could, before comparing the Manx rider to his Irish team mate.
“Mark has nothing to lose, we told him
that. That's a luxury. He is also mentally stronger than Sam. Even when Bennett
was the fastest of the pack he was constantly doubting himself," said
Lefevere.
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He then launched into a tirade against
his Irish rider, apparently because Bennett – one of the team’s top performers –
had not messaged him back the weekend before last.
“I sent him a WhatsApp message last
weekend and he replied: ‘I'm on my bike’. So I thought he would call me after
that, but I haven't heard from him again. Yes sorry, I'm the boss hey, he has
to call me. I don't call him.
“He will be paid until December 31st
and I am adhering to the contract correctly. But you have to be two to fulfill
a contract. He shows little respect for me.”
Lefevere also said he would not be
contacting Bennett, as it was up to the Irish sprinter to contact his “boss”.
“I have five team leaders, four doctors, my trainers. At that point it was up to him to call me and he gets rid of it with I'm on my bike,” he said.
“I don't think he's still on his bike
now and hasn't gotten off it once to be able to make a phone call. After the
training, he could call me and explain himself what was going on.”
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