"I regret more the way I said it": Valentin Paret-Peintre doubles-down on his TV moto criticism at Romandie

While Tadej Pogacar put in another of his convincing peformances in Tour de Romandie 2026 stage 4, winning with an authoritative 18-kilometer solo, the words of Valentin Paret-Peintre after the stage have created a much more intense reactions among fans and experts. According to the French climber, who joined the day's early breakaway, the peloton and Pogacar very given an unfair advantage my TV motorbikes while closing down the breakaway's advantage.

"I hope the motorbikes weren’t too close behind, because that was the case in the last two days," Paret-Peintre told Cycling Pro Net angrily at the finish of Saturday's stage 4. "But if the organisation wants Tadej Pogacar to win, that’s their choice."

His Soudal - Quick-Step teammate Louis Vervaeke added to the topic in a conversation with DirectVelo, prompting Tour de Romandie organizer Richard Chassot to address the criticism at a post-race press conference:

"It shows a lack of understanding of me to think I want to favor anyone. Everyone's work in the race is complex. I can understand the riders' frustration, but I don't run the TV broadcasts. They're service providers. I don't want to start a controversy about it, but it's clear we don't do that. These are false claims."

With a bit of retrospective, the emotions mellowed down a little in Paret-Peintre, who gave a more composed explanation for his outburst when speaking to DirectVelo after the final stage one day later: "It may have been misinterpreted. I regret the way I said it more than what I actually thought. I said what was on my mind, and if not everyone likes it, so be it."

The 25-year-old's best result in Romandie was a 3rd place in one of the reduced sprint stages, however he expected more of himself in the mountains. "My form improved every day, which is what I wanted. I would have liked to win or get a better result on a stage, but I'm not disappointed. (Tadej) Pogacar and (Dorian) Godon won all the stages; there was nothing more I could have done. We had fun, which is rare in cycling today, so that's the main thing."