Thus, the ad hoc analysis of Eurosport co-commentator Bernhard Eisel is not correct, according to which Jasper Philipsen wanted to change from the leading position and van der Poel was on the wrong side of his rear wheel, whereby the gap to Degenkolb became so narrow that van der Poel touched the DSM rider in the evasive movement. The breakaway in a headwind from the front left is always against the wind, as you learn as a racer in the school class, so Philipsen would have pulled out to the left. The version that Philipsen suddenly wanted to pull out onto the sandy verge, on which Degenkolb rode because of the lower rolling resistance compared to the pavé, is also absurd, as he completely ignored this strip beforehand. If van der Poel had wanted to attack in the gap between Philipsen and Degenkolb, which had been created by the latter’s pulling out onto the hard shoulder, in Philipsen’s slipstream on the right, his team-mate in the leading position would also have pulled out to the left, at the latest at van der Poel’s command call. Then there would have been room for Degenkolb and the collision would not have happened. Van der Poel saw Degenkolb long enough first in front and then to his right, so the only option left is that he deliberately shot Degenkolb down and Philipsen moved to the right because he either realised that the DSM captain wanted to pass on the right or because van der Poel even told Philipsen to “close the door”. In any case, it is quite obvious that the two Alpecin-Deceuninck pros deliberately wanted to eliminate Degenkolb as a potential contender for victory with a strong performance up to the decisive phase of the race finale at the crash site.
As soon as Degenkolb was sent to the ground and the Alpecin-Deceuninck duo were still sorting themselves out from the collision, Wout van Aert launched an attack in the next act of gross unsportsmanlike behaviour, taking advantage of the situation. However, an immediately following flat punished this unfairness of the Jumbo-Visma pro. One would have wished the same fate for the rest of the ruthless egomaniac squad until Degenkolb, who had pulled himself together and chased, had managed to catch up with the group again.
