Adam Blythe on Jumbo-Visma situation: "The team they have to remember they need a happy Wout"

Stage 2 of the Tour de France saw a dramatic finale as Victor Lafay soared to a surprise win with a late attack. All throughout the final 15 kilometer Jumbo-Visma blocked all attacks perfectly, but the win was not taken by a very tight margin, which led many to comment on whether Jonas Vingegaard should worked for van Aert or not.

"Had he led through the final corner with Wout on his wheel at 600m to go, he could have changed the outcome for Wout van Aert," Robbie McEwen said in Eurosport's The Breakaway show. "That's the criticism he's going to get and I think it's just. In this situation today, it wasn't a really uphill finish, he wasn't at risk of losing time, he could have made the difference and he didn't."

Wilco Kelderman and Tiesj Benoot did quite a lot of work in chasing down Pello Bilbao and making sure attacks would not move clear, but in the final kilometers van Aert went after, seemingly comfortably, of Tom Pidcock and Mattias Skjelmose. He looked set to go for the stage win he had been seeking, and he did win the sprint, but Jumbo-Visma was unable to bring back the Frenchman who made a move under the one kilometer to go banner.

"I think it will have to add to the pressure, the lack of success for one of their marquee riders. He's here in support of Vingegaard but he's also in the Tour to win stages and have his own chances. This was another one of them," he continues. "Yesterday I could sort of understand Vingegaard not doing the chase behind the Yates brothers because of the uphill run to the line, it was risky to lose time. Today it wasn't and I think this was the day to do it."

Over social media, as well as the press following the race, opinions occupied much of the spectrum all the way from it being a justifiable decision, others pointing out that Vingegaard was crucial for this task as he blocked Tadej Pogacar's intentions of getting away, but also heavily criticizing the Dane for the decision - of lack thereof.

"We look at Jonas Vingegaard and we know he's here for GC. He knows he just has to cross the finish line safely," Adam Blythe argued. "If you go back a few years and you look at Vincenzo Nibali, Bradley Wiggins, these kind of riders that have been in the sport for such a long time, they would have been like 'last kilometre, let's go boys, we're going to win this stage'. Yes he wants Wout to win, but all he'll be concerned about is 'I need to get across the line safely'. And I just think that is purely down to experience."

Whether Jumbo-Visma played all their cards right is something that will only be understood as the race goes on, as van Aert will still have plenty chances to take a stage win and the GC of Jonas Vingegaard is for the time being in place. However it must be said that motivation within the team is not at it's best currently, as after two days of a lot of hard work in the finales have not brought any reward.

"I think internally within the team they have to remember they need a happy Wout. They need a Wout that needs to work for Jonas later in the race. I think they can speak to Jonas and say: 'Look, in these situations you're allowed to help. Don't risk losing time, but you're not going to in a reduced bunch sprint. You need to think about how to help your team-mate'. I think Wout will be a little bit annoyed maybe at Jonas for not helping – like 'dude, you could have just come to the front for 200 metres'," Blythe concluded.