Politt defends himself but UAE get blasted by TotalEnergies manager: "They are arrogant with those who want to live"

UAE Team Emirates - XRG have been in control of this Tour de France and spending large hours in the head of the peloton has been it's rouleur Nils Politt. Often however, the German rider has been criticized over his harsh blocking of breakaway attempts in some occasions. He has justified his tactics, but equally has been further piled on after going after a particular rider on stage 16.

Politt had been vastly criticized on social media over his aggressive behaviour when marking attacks and trying to block the peloton, but vocal voices in the peloton such as Thomas Voeckler also spoke out against the German, road captain of UAE Team Emirates - XRG. "I totally agree with Thomas. There's a kind of caste, the big guys want to crush the small guys," TotalEnergies DS Jean-René Burgaudeau shared with RMC.

Bernaudeau was specifically asked this question after Politt chased down team rider Alexandre Delettre who had attacked by himself at a particular point on stage 16 to Mont Ventoux. Such a move looked rather odd, and definitely triggered bad emotions within the French ProTeam.

"We have to denounce it. Everyone is free, we don't have the same jersey. We don't defend the same interests. If there's a bit of elegance... What's important today is that the bike is going well. I don't accept that. It's indecent. Plus, it's filmed," Bernaudeau shoots. "In my case, that would never happen. It's bad manners, not to mention Pogacar. A good leader, smiling, who comes to win the Tour. I experienced that with Bernard Hinault. We were around him to protect our leader. They are arrogant with those who want to live simply. I trust their manager to put things back in place".

This morning however Politt had already responded to the words of some that have been going around the Tour peloton and online, specifying that some of his counter-attacks have come at times where Tadej Pogacar and other riders were in a 'pee break'.

"Oh, it was nothing special. We wanted to control the race, and a breakaway was gone with 1'20," Politt told Sporza. He says that some attacks he directly marked as they came at a very specific time. "He's the yellow jersey, and after him, half the peloton stopped. Tadej and I were the first riders to return, but then they started attacking again. But there were still 30 to 40 riders on the back".

The classics specialist was not happy with having been criticized over such actions, and responds with some irony to the bad words that have come in his direction. "I've always been taught that it's quiet when the yellow jersey stops to pee nobody attacks then. But apparently, we still have to learn the new rule".