Video: Pro race's dodgy sprint, confrontation, protest on podium

Dylan Groenewegen celebrates winning the 1.1-ranked Tour de L'Eurometropole in Belgium but runner-up Oliver Naesen (IAM Cycling) was furious at the manner in which the winner claimed the honours.

 

Dutch sprinter Dylan Groenewegen is having a fine season and looks to be right where he needs to be two weeks out from the UCI World Championships in Doha.

The reigning national road race champion won the Tour de l’Eurometropole this afternoon in a messy sprint that wasn’t without incident.

First, three riders looked set to contest it themselves when they wriggled clear of the bunch late on only to be caught when they began playing cat and mouse.

And then, from that farcical scenario came a sprint that Belgian rider Olivier Naesen (IAM Cycling) looked less than pleased about.

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You very rarely, if ever, see a runner-up disrespecting a winner like this on the podium. He'll regret doing this in time.

 

Naesen was one of the three who got swamped because he played cat and mouse for too long which allowed Groenewegen a shot at glory.

And the powerful 23 year-old took full advantage, despite veering towards the barriers on the approach to the line.

Naesen almost had the door completely closed on him and he was forced to bunny-hop a concrete block inexplicably positioned on the finish line.

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When the latter gathered himself his frustration gave way to anger and he confronted the winner after crossing the line, clearly incensed that he’d been wronged.

 

The coming together

 

The sprint from above

 

The sprint head on

 

Naesen looking well pissed on the podium

 

 

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