Following his expulsion from Paris-Nice for receiving assistance from a team car in his attempt to regain the peloton after going down in a crash during stage 1, Romain Bardet (AG2R La Mondiale) took responsibility for his actions on Sunday, saying in a statement released by his team that he made a mistake in a tense moment of the race.
"We made a mistake due to the fact we weren't thinking straight at a key moment in the stage, mainly as a result of my crash and the circumstances of a fantastic and animated stage," Bardet said. "I am deeply sorry for my actions because nothing justifies taking advantage of the extensive assistance I received from the team car for mechanical repairs."
Bardet sustained superficial wounds on his elbow, hand, hip and left knee when he crashed with 22km remaining while part of the second group on the road. The AG2R team leader remounted quickly and succeeded in catching back onto the chasing group as the race entered the final 10km.
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French TV showed several brief images of Bardet’s pursuit through the race convoy, although on at least two occasions the helicopter camera angle showed a mechanic leaning from the AG2R La Mondiale car window to perform adjustments to Bardet's bike.
Team General Manager Vincent Lavenu said the team were panicked and made a regretful decision.
"On account of the circumstances that we found ourselves in the race, we were caught up in a panic after Romain's crash in a very tense stage, and we did not react properly," he said. "We admit our fault. This is the first time in 26 years that this has ever happened to me. The decision may seem severe, but we respect it. The jury are the ones who guarantee the rules are applied equally to all in our sport."
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