AMILLY, France — Australian Richie Porte’s overall hopes went up in smoke as Sonny Colbrelli of Italy won the second stage of the week-long Paris-Nice race on Monday. The 32-year-old Porte, winner of this race in 2013 and 2015, finished the stage 14 minutes down after another wet, windy and attritional day in the ‘Race to the sun’.
He lost contact with the lead group during a frantic first 50km of the 195km stage from Rochefort-en-Yvelines to Amilly. Another two-time former winner and overall contender Alberto Contador of Spain was also distanced over the first 50km but after a 100km chase, his group managed to catch the leading cluster of riders and he finished safely in the pack.
Porte’s demise, though, was the second by a favorite in as many days as Frenchman Romain Bardet was disqualified following Sunday’s opening stage for having held onto his AG2R team’s support car.
Colbrelli edged out German John Degenkolb in the sprint finish with France’s Arnaud Demare, Sunday’s first stage winner, taking third to hold onto the race leader’s yellow jersey.
Tuesday’s third stage is a 190km run from Chablis to Chalon-sur-Saone.
Thomas rubbishes claims of Sky riders mutiny
Veteran rider Geraint Thomas gave embattled Team Sky boss Dave Brailsford his full support on Monday whilst claiming the whole team were behind him. A report in cycling News quoted an unnamed Team Sky cyclist saying he and other riders were considering calling on Brailsford to resign.
They are concerned the bad publicity engendered from what was in a package delivered to the team doctor Richard Freeman towards the end of the 2011 Criterium du Dauphine for star rider Bradley Wiggins was beginning to affect their form.
As a result the rider claims they see Brailsford — who has masterminded Team Sky’s rise to be the dominant team in road cycling — as part of the problem. However, Thomas, who has been part of Team Sky’s success over the past several years being a prime helper in Chris Froome’s Tour de France victories, sprang to Brailsford’s defense.
“It shouldn’t even need saying, but we all back Dave B 100%!!! I’ve known him a long time and I wouldn’t want anyone else leading @teamsky,” tweeted the 30-year-old Welshman. The team and British cycling are presently in the eye of a storm, being investigated by UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) and also subject to a hearing by the British Parliament’s Culture Media and Sport all-party Committee.
Both wish to learn what was in the package brought from England to France — the team say it was the legal decongestant Fluimucil whilst there have been claims it was the corticosteroid Triamcinolone.
Triamcinolone is the drug used by Wiggins prior to three grand tours between 2011 and 2013 after he was granted therapeutic use exemptions (TUEs) over a pollen-related breathing problem — however he did not have such a TUE for the Criterium du Dauphine.
TUEs permit cyclists to take substances that would usually be banned. Wiggins, now retired and like Brailsford ennobled for his cycling exploits, has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing.
