We have something we want to share with you. Despite everything that happened today and despite all the bitterness, we still love @Paris_Roubaix to the moon and back. Photo: @BeelWout
"I would have turned back, taken my bike and hit him on the head" Lefevere says over Lampaert's spectator crash
CyclingTuesday, 19 April 2022 at 08:30
Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team didn't have the outcome they desired for the finale of the cobbled classics campaign as crashes derailed their race. Yves Lampaert was hit by a spectator and crashed out of contention in the final kilometers whilst fighting for the podium
Lefevere spoke to VeloNews after the race, and has talked about Lampaert's incident: “That’s not the first time or the last time that this will happen. Remember what happened with Tony Martin at the Tour de France last year. Today we had two like this though because, although television didn’t show it, Florian Sénéchal crashed because of a spectator. He was on the wheel of Lampaert when Wout van Aert made an acceleration and a spectator hit his handlebar. He went over the bars and hit his head. He was a bit unsure where he was for a few seconds and it was impossible to come back. What happened with Yves, everyone saw.”
With Asgreen also having crashed alongside Mads Pedersen before the cobbled sectors, it was a chaotic and unlucky race for the Belgian team despite their best efforts. Lefevere was very critical of the fan's behaviour which has led to meaningful crashes inside the race: “The problem is that these people are not reasonable. These riders are suffering for 250km, living for weeks for this race, and one stupid guy blows it up. He sleeps well tonight, no worries but for Yves: this is a disaster.”
“What can you do? With my background from 30 to 40 years ago, I think I would have turned back, taken my bike and hit him on the head, but you can’t do that. He didn’t realize what happened, he was concentrating. Okay if he was riding on the pavement then he could be at fault but this guy was with his phone and then we all saw," he added.
With Lampaert and Sénéchal finishing 10th and 13th at the end, it was an unsuccessful race for Quick-Step, who can now only refocus on the Ardennes where they will atempt to save their spring campaign.
“He could have a fine of maybe €1,000. He might need a lawyer but that will be it. I hope he doesn’t sleep this evening. Why people want to take selfies or film like that I don’t understand... For us, we’ve lost UCI points, a nice result, and for Yves he’s out of contract at the end of the year. If you do top three or top five in Paris-Roubaix you have better papers to start negotiations with because in two weeks everyone will forget about the crash," Lefevere concluded.
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