“He was stuffing up the breakaway and ruined it for everyone" - Michael Storer slams Victor Campenaerts
Cycling
Michael Storer was part of a strong breakaway on stage 15 of the 2025 Tour de France. The Australian was unable to get a first stage win added to his palamres though, and according to him, a big reason for that was the negative riding of Team Visma | Lease a Bike's Victor Campenaerts.
“I tried to make the difference on the steep climb, but it wasn't quite enough,” the Australian climber reflected of his efforts in a post-stgae interview with his home nation's broadcaster, SBS Sport.
Whilst Storer's move did initially draw a small group clear - one that included both the eventual stage winner Tim Wellens and the aforementioned Campenaerts - the Tudor Pro Cycling Team star was left disappointed by the tactics of his rivals, especially singling out Campenaerts for criticism.
“He was stuffing up the breakaway and actually ruined it for everyone except Wellens. He seized the opportunity," explains Storer ruefully. "Campenaerts said that Wout van Aert was behind him, but he was really far back. I don't understand that. By not working together, he gave Wellens the victory. I don't think that was very smart tactically.”
Storer eventually crossed the line in 22nd, over a minute and a half down on Wellens, whilst Campenaerts had to settle for second place at the finish.
🇦🇺 Michael Storer was on the charge again at the Tour de France, claiming most combative on Stage 15, and was pretty combative in the post-race interview, talking about the non-collaboration of Victor Campenaerts in the breakaway!
— SBS Sport (@SBSSportau) July 20, 2025
📺 #TDF2025 | July 5-27 | SBS & SBS On Demand pic.twitter.com/h1quZpF1G1
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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