Kasper Asgreen defends outspoken Lefevere: "I don't feel like he's criticizing me"

Patrick Lefevere has long been considered a somewhat controversial figure in the cycling world due to his outspoken criticism of his Soudal - Quick-Step riders. However Kasper Asgreen, who knows Lefevere well has jumped to the defence of his team manager.

"I don't know, I don't feel like he's criticizing me," the 27-year-old Dane explained to feltet.dk. "If I had a cycling team and one of my top riders couldn't race for the rest of the new season, I'd be disappointed too. That makes a lot of sense. But I don't think he's disappointed in me. I think he said it very nicely. He is disappointed in the circumstances.”

Asgreen is nearing a return to action at the Trofeo Port D'Alcudia, his first competitive race since last July. "If you haven't been able to train for such a long time, you obviously have to build up longer," Asgreen says before ending on a positive note. "You can always get sick or encounter something else, you have no control over that. But if everything goes as it should, I'll probably make it. Since October, when I started training again, I have had no setbacks.”