Vincenzo Nibali has apologised after being disqualified from the Vuelta a Espana for holding onto a team car but believes he deserved just a time penalty, not expulsion from the race, because he was trying to get back to the peloton after a crash.
The 2014 Tour de France winner posted a defiant but apologetic message on his Facebook page and also spoke to La Gazzetta dello Sport. In the Italian sports newspaper, he blamed Caleb Ewan of Orica-GreenEdge for the crash that left several riders injured and also pointed the finger at his Astana team, suggesting that he was ‘abandoned’ after the crash.
“I want to publicily apologise for what happened, especially for the people who feel they are angry or ashamed of me!” Nibali wrote on his Facebook page, pushing back against the wave of criticism that has risen since video footage emerged showing him taking a tow from an Astana team car after being delayed by a huge crash in the peloton with 20km to go
ADVERTISEMENT
“What happened at the Vuelta happens in every race, even if that does mean what I did isn’t right. I should have been punished. The race judges decide the right punishment.”
“I chased back on to show that I’m not hurt and was fine until taking a 150 metre tow - a mistake that people are ready to throw mud at me for and attack me for. Yet nobody talks about the people who attacked when others crashed, about a lone chase against 18 attackers. No sir. In cycling the race is the race and nobody waits for you!!”
“There are lots of episodes like this in cycling and especially so after a crash!! I thought I’d get a fine and time penalty that would take me out of the overall classification. I’d have even accepted a ten-minute penalty. After all, I won’t be the first or last to do this kind of thing.”
“I apologise again if I’ve stolen your time and thanks for the support you may or may not give me. See you soon! Vince.”
You can read more at Cyclingnews.com
via Cyclingnews Latest News http://ift.tt/1MIOpy2
No comments:
Post a Comment