Wout van Aert was visibly frustrated when he crossed the finish line in second place on stage 2 of the Tour de France. With many criticising Jonas Vingegaard for not helping in the chase, Jumbo-Visma's sports director Grischa Niermann says he is the one to blame.
"We are currently very disappointed that Wout does not win. It was very close. I was sure that Victor Lafay would still be caught and we are very disappointed, especially Wout himself," said the German in a post-stage interview. "Lafay's last attack was too much. If Wout went too early, Tadej Pogacar would have gone over him. Wout knew that too. He is disappointed and he should be."
Van Aert pounded his handlebars in frustration as he crossed the line and Wilco Kelderman admitted in his post-stage interview that a turn from Vingegaard could've made all the difference. According to Niermann however, he is the man that should shoulder any blame and disappointment, not defending Tour de France winner.
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"If someone has made a mistake, you have to attribute it to me. My focus is that Jonas has to be in Tadej's wheel. If I don't make the call that Jonas had to ride behind Lafay..." he ponders. "In hindsight it could have been, but I was then convinced that Kelderman and Benoot would close the gap. It didn't work out. We don't draw one card, Wout gets absolute freedom. And it will still work."
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