"This has happened 300,000 times" - Sep Vanmarrcke defends brother and Dries de Bondt over Finestre controversy
CyclingSunday, 22 June 2025 at 12:00
The Giro d'Italia's final competitive stage was a memorable day for several reasons and amongst them was the unusual work that Dries de Bondt did for Richard Carapaz halfway through the Colle delle Finestre. The situation continues to evolve and Sep Vanmarcke, brother of a big figure involved, has shared his opinion.
On the brutal penultimate climb of the Giro, the GC race was on fire and Simon Yates was already up the road by this point. Dries de Bondt, in an interview after the Giro, revealed that he paced Carapaz up the climb after a conversation with EF Education-EasyPost DS Ken Vanmarcke in the morning of that day.
It had been clear that the conversations were regarding a possible contract for the 2026 season and that if De Bondt could play a decisive role in Carapaz' potential Giro victory, this could've turned into a reality. On the day, this was not the case.
Collaborations between riders of opposing teams and the battles for contracts often do lead to unusual situations in the peloton, but it was the openness and direct admission of racing in the interests of a rival team that kicked off a lot of debating in the cycling world. That has, this week, turned into an investigation from the UCI which could have consequences to both sides.
Sep Vanmarcke, former pro and classics specialists, fears that it may have very bad consequences for his brother Ken, the team's DS at the Giro: "It is not a pleasant situation for my brother. You don't want to be in the media like that. Hopefully they are sensible enough and his job is not in danger. It is a shame," he told Sporza.
He believes the topic has been overextended and dramatized, putting the focus on one example of a situation that happens often in the cycling world. "It's going in a direction that is absolutely unnecessary. This has happened 300,000 times. Collaborations happen in all situations, also outside the race. It is impossible that they (the UCI, ed.) start this. Then they will have a lot of work."
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- The big difference: Jonas had 2 days NO, Tadej 0 days NO 1- Stage 5, flat time trial (Jonas lost 1' 05") 2-Stage 12, climbing Hautacam (Jonas lost 2' 10") total lost: 3' 15" In addition, Tadej won 48" in bonus. 2 bad days in the Tour de France, by a super champion like Jonas means that something was very wrong in the preparation. Visma has a lot to think about.
maria2024202425-07-2025 - Victor - you are so far off base with your comments it's ridiculous! Why should Tadeg have to attack anymore? He doesn't ! He's playing the long game of taking yellow to Paris and not just trying to win every fricking stage!frieders325-07-2025
- Visma is riding in hope that they can remix their 2022 tactics and bait Pogacar into beating himself... But the good thing about Pogacar losing the way he did is that he learned his limits and is both stronger and smarter... Vingegaard's career becomes more interesting. This man tends to shut his season down after the TdF... Perhaps he will need to start preparing for the GTs that Pogacar does not target and racing beyond the summer because he is on a really big salary for his current level of performance and he has too many bad days to ever beat a healthy Pogacar over 3 weeks ... Funny how Visma paced all day two days running and lost time at the line on both days..DoctorNurse7125-07-2025
- No one mentioned the man of the day: Adam Yates. He hasn't done much this Tour, can't blame him for coming in under top form after doing the Giro. But his long, long pull after a grueling day kept everyone, even Vingo, from attacking until very late, which set up Pogi for a counter attack. Vingo knows he needs a lot more than the few seconds he can gain in the last two k's, but Yates absolutely shut him down. Kudos Adam!velodan25-07-2025
- pogačar’s ability to raise his level mid career really is just staggering. he’s gotten SO much stronger since the last time he and vingegaard faced each other both healthy. it’s kinda sad, but jonas’ career is really just OVER now. i’m actually anticipating something similar happening to mvdp next year. i’ve mentioned once before this so sorry for repetition, but i really expect pog to up his level again to make sure that he never loses roubaix or msr again either, just like he did when he got sick of losing to mathieu at flanders. i don’t think mvdp can improve enough to ever win there again against pogačar, but pogi can clearly find more and more watts when he wants or needs them. he also never fatigues at all, which is a great advantage he has over mathieu, who definitely feels it when he completely empties his tank one weekend during the classics season, then pays for it the following week. i think the only question mark left is whether or not pogačar can get to a point where he’s dominating bunch sprints, too. i realize that sounds insane and impossible, and i am half joking. half. this is a level of dominance that i think will ultimately exceed almost any other athlete in any sport. others come to mind, like alexander karelin, the olympic wrestler. but pog is like karelin as a middleweight who moves up and down in divisions and just dominates everywhere. or like a michael jordan who can ALSO completely dominate in the paint as a center. just staggering. the only questions left in cycling have to do with how much better pogačar will decide to get.OCexile25-07-2025
- What about a fine for visma for break checking with no one in front ,knowing pogacar was behind them ?captmike25-07-2025
- The fines are a money grab for the pockets of the tour organizerscaptmike25-07-2025
- Jonas is maxed out, you can have a solid team but if you can't drop the main protagonist then you lose. I give him credit for believing in himself and doing his best, and let's be honest, he's better than every other stage racer except for Tadej. If you don't race much in the lead up to July it's hard to do anything special in the Tour, no matter how good you are.awp24-07-2025
- If that's what it is. Seems more like a pathetic attempt at mind games.Renz24-07-2025
- Of course Jonas's chances of winning are mostly over, barring a Pogi crash. But of course Jonas isn't going to say that until Pogi victory is truly inevitable. Just like Pogi in 2022 - not admitting defeat. Shouldn't we admire rather than mock the fighting spirit?mobk24-07-2025
What's the ruling on riders from rival teams working together? Is it that whatever action is taken, it must be in the interests of both teams (crucially the teams, and not just the riders)?
There is a difference between spur of the moment mutually beneficial collaboration and predetermined collusion based on potential financial gains or if bad faith rider manipulation.
Who was the LiDL-TREK rider who paced Simon Yates on Colle delle Finestre, for a short while? I remember it was either Rob Hatch or Matt Stephens who pointed it out.
If it was war it would be treason .🤣🤣 Lol. EDF director rode for Italy at the worlds as his trade team mates were Itallian and was banned for representing GB. 🤣🤣🤣🤣 Brother missing the point totally it could have changed the winner of the Giro.Nothing to see here storm in tea cup .