The first week of the Tour de France is traditionally restless, and there will also be numerous falls in 2022. They often end lightly, but Maximilian Schachmann is still angry – at his colleagues from Jumbo-Visma. They are supposed to escort top star Primoz Roglic to the tour victory, but they cause a stir.
Maximilian Schachmann has criticized what he considers to be a dangerous driving style by the Jumbo-Visma team in the Tour de France. “In any case, Jumbo has to get over it a bit. Roglic caused this fall again because they just drive like broken ones for the last few centimeters, can’t do it, then hang themselves on the roadside. It’s a hazard for all drivers and total unnecessary,” said the professional cyclist from Team Bora-hansgrohe after the sixth stage.
In the scene mentioned by Schachmann about 13 kilometers from the finish in Longwy, the TV images do not make it clear whether Primoz Roglic caused the fall on Thursday. You can only see how another driver falls, Roglic avoids and drives a bit through the ditch. “Where there is no space, there is no space at the moment. You don’t need to switch everyone off,” said Schachmann.
The Jumbo-Visma team wants to win the tour with Roglic or the Dane Jonas Vingegaard. The Slovenian is already knocked off after his fall on the cobblestone stage. Vingegaard’s unsuccessful wheel change on the fifth stage made it clear that Jumbo was nervous. After a defect, the Dane took the bike of his much larger teammate Nathan Van Hooydonck instead of waiting for the nearby team vehicle. Vingegaard didn’t even get on the saddle of the wheel. The scene became a joke on social media.
Michael Gogl and Daniel Oss were hit the hardest in a restless first week of the tour on the fifth stage – but without the participation of Jumbo-Visma. Oss’s team, TotalEnergies, said investigations revealed a cervical fracture. “He’s not allowed to move for a few weeks and has to leave the tour,” the statement said. The Italian had collided with an unwary fan and fell heavily. At high speed, Gogl, who was racing up behind him, could no longer avoid it and flew over Oss’ wheel. According to his Alpecin-Deceuninck team, Gogl suffered a fractured pelvis and collarbone and needed surgery.
Roglic was also caught on this stage: the Slovenian fell, lost a lot of time to his main competitor Tadej Pogacar – and afterwards reported that he had put his shoulder, which had been dislocated in the fall, back into place. “I couldn’t straighten it right away, so I had to sit in a spectator’s chair. I have a special technique and that’s how I put it back in place,” Roglic said in a TV interview.
