In particular, the performance of
Ryan Gibbons in the final leadout came under serious scrutiny from Pedersen, with the South African being singled out for criticism in the fiery post-stage interview. "Ryan shows up way too late, and then I let him in. In the positioning battle, I lose them, but I also knew that the gap would open up on the left side at some point, so I could jump back onto their wheel, but they also lose each other," Pedersen details with frustration. "Then Ryan stops riding in the final, and it’s a mistake for him to do that. If he had stayed on Alex’s wheel around the corner, I would’ve caught them again."
With another bunch sprint expected on stage 2, Pedersen, Gibbons and the entire Lidl-Trek team will certainly be hoping to see a better performance as they look to take the fight to Merlier.