"It certainly could have made the difference today" - Wilco Kelderman laments the lack of help from Jonas Vingegaard in final chase on stage 2 of the Tour de France

For the second straight day, an opportunity for the stage win with Wout van Aert came and went for Jumbo-Visma, with Victor Lafay ambushing with a late attack to steal the win. Wilco Kelderman believes a small help from Jonas Vingegaard could have made a big difference.

“I did so much work, and then one jumped out. We just lacked some strength, one male or so, who closes it. I wasn't really into it anymore. Phew, sorry," the experienced Dutchman analysed with a sigh in his post-race interview with NOS. “You know, if a few jump each time, you close the gap twice. But then you still need someone to close the last gap. But yes, it is the way it is."

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With Kelderman, Tiesj Benoot and even Wout van Aert himself doing all the chasing in the finale, Jonas Vingegaard kept himself quiet. Kelderman doesn't seem fully convinced that this was the right tactic from his leader.

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“It's hard to say. We need to take a look at this. You know, that's the way it is, you can't predict everything. It certainly could have made the difference today," he explains. "We would have had that victory in our pocket. But unfortunately, it is not so. I was on the limit, I no longer had the gear to jump with those guys. Anyway, we're here for Jonas."

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🇫🇷 #TDF2023 Stage 2️⃣ result.

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