"I don't speak Italian, but I understand perfectly what he said" - Jordan Jegat calls out rival for insults during Tour de France breakaway
Cycling
Emotions run high at the Tour de France and specially on the final week as riders undergo a lot of stress to save their race and that of their teams. Simone Velasco of XDS Astana Team certainly felt that today, as he reportedly insulted Jordan Jegat in the day's breakaway. The Frenchman successfully broke into the Top10 but didn't have all good words to say at the finish line in Pontarlier.
After three weeks of stupendous riding taking into consideration his and TotalEnergies' expectations coming into the Tour, Jegat still had the legs and the energy to attack stage 20 and get himself in the breakaway. The 26-year old won 6 minutes over the peloton and this was enough to overtake Ben O'Connor and earn himself the result of his career.
However he had to undergo a difficult day in the break as several riders did not want him there - as they wanted the breakaway to get freedom. Early in the stage, radio communication revealed what can only be described as Team Picnic PostNL pressuring the Frenchman into dropping out of the breakaway so it could gain time. But apparently, Jegat was also insulted by Astana's Simone Velasco who was in the front group.
"Only Velasco insulted me. I don't speak Italian, but I understand perfectly what he said. There's a lot of talk about yellow cards; today he deserved one. Everyone is free to do what they want, it's a shame," he said to Eurosport's microphones. Ultimately however Jegat has succeeded and even put himself in a position to potentially win the 'super combatif' award at the Tour, with three successful breakaways aiding his goal of a Top10.
In the finale,the French suffered a tough hit as local rider Romain Grégoire went down in a crash with Iván Romeo. The Groupama - FDJ was unable to save the team's race and was quite unhappy: "I had done everything right up until that crash. I had a great feeling, there was more to do. I made the mistake too. If Romeo doesn't fall, maybe I can get out of it. Too bad. Given Groves's performance, it would have been difficult to beat him."
As for Roméo, who managed to finish the stage but in very bad condition, the emotions were also not the best. "I don't know if it was silly, you have to take risks when you want to win a stage in the Tour. I couldn't see anything with the rain and the glasses, I didn't know that the curve was so sharp and I crashed, I asked the car to warn me".
"Today I think I could have been the first, I was feeling very well, I had more bullets, but I'm sure I'll have more chances. I had been told that the village was bad, but not that bad, Gregoire had left on the descent, I thought about starting, but I didn't know there was a curve at 50 meters and I crashed".
"What hurts the most is not winning the stage, I was in the breakaway the breakaway, I felt very very good, I wanted to attack in the last climb. In the end, well, nothing, a lot of learning and that's nothing. We had the trump card that Jorgenson and Wellens were going to look at each other and they did. I hope someone finds my Garmin because I think I've done record everything for sure."
Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
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