"Vingegaard isn't riding to win then?" - Visma leader's tactics in Catalunya baffle Belgian commentator

The Volta a Catalunya has not even entered the mountains yet and the race has been lit on fire. On the least expected of locations, Remco Evenepoel set the Catalan race on fire on stage 3, and Jonas Vingegaard joined him. But his lack of immediate work stunned Renaat Schotte, who criticized the Dane's decisions - or lack thereof.

The two moved away with just under 30 kilometers to go as the peloton broke apart in a crosswind section. The Dane's ability to close the gap on the flat to Evenepoel was impressive, but then for several kilometers he was reluctant to work.

On the TV broadcast it was possible to see Evenepoel's constant gesturing to the Dane, and even some words which were quite evidently said out of anger. But that is justified according to the Belgian commentator, who was stunned to see Vingegaard's reluctance to work with his rival.

"Honestly I was completely surprised myself and I still don't understand it. Apparently Vingegaard isn't riding to win then?" Schotte questioned in words for Sporza. "He didn't do that after the crash either, because the stage victory was there for the taking. I find what happened yesterday quite hallucinatory. To me, the tactics are incomprehensible. I really can't make head or tail of it."

Whilst on paper the terrain did favour Evenepoel better, Vingegaard had already shut down the possibility of losing time to him on the road, and the two were taking time on the peloton - and even more on João Almeida who was in a second peloton. Hence, for the GC, it was a potentially beneficial move for both riders.

"You have to look at it apart from the stage win, and in that case, Vingegaard had every interest in riding along," Schotte argues. "Those efforts would never have jeopardized his chances of overall victory, and he mainly missed an opportunity to put seconds on the other competitors together with Evenepoel."

The Dane did eventually start collaborating, but after the finish Evenepoel's comments, 'the collaboration was great', were short and ironic. There is no doubt that the Belgian ended up the day quite unhappy not only with his crash, but also with the attitude of Vingegaard.

The Sporza commentator sees no excuse for this, taking into consideration Vingegaard himself is able to ride formidably on the flat roads when in form. "He has an excellent time trial in his legs himself. Once again, he doesn't ride along, then he does, and then he doesn't again. I just don't get it."