Patrick Lefevere comes to AIGCP head, Richard Plugge's defense

Patrick Lefevere defends Richard Plugge in his weekly column in Het Nieuwsblad. The Jumbo-Visma team boss is accused of having a dual role at the AIGCP, the interest group for professional cycling teams.

"I can only think of my favorite French expression: l’histoire se répète," writes Lefevere. "I myself was AIGCP chairman for years and I also had my regular supporters and opponents. In short: the French were against me, everything else more or less for."

In any case, Lefevere himself did not sign the letter of protest against Plugge. "I personally have no problem with Richard. Colleagues like Brent Copeland may think they could all do much better, but I know what it means to head an advocacy group like AIGCP. You never make good friends. I am glad that Richard, as a young man, now wants to fight that battle in my place," he concludes.

The WorldTour teams Jayco AlUla, Cofidis, Team dsm-firmenich, BORA-hansgrohe, Alpecin-Deceuninck, Bahrain Victorious, Intermarché-Circus-Wanty and Movistar, among others, signed a protest letter to Plugge last week.