Several cyclists who participate in The Tour of Spain 2023 They have suffered punctures 100 kilometers from the end of the stage, due to the presence of sharp objects that were initially assigned to some type of thumbtack and which, according to RTVE images, have finally been shown to be some nails reinforced with a plastic dowel that have been deposited on the road so that they do more damage, in what is supposed to be an act of sabotage against the cycling race.
The Belgian cyclist from the Soudal Quick-Step team Remco Evenepoel, winner of the Vuelta last year, was one of the riders who suffered a puncture at Coll d’Estandelles due to these objects on the road. Another of the favourites, who has also played has been the young Juan Ayuso, third last year and current leader of the UEA team. And even twice the Tour winner, Jonas Vingergaad and the leader of Ineos Geraint ThomasThey have gone through the same ordeal.
The punctures have forced several runners to stop to change a tire in what appears to be an act of boycott the returna competition that had not stopped in Barcelona since 2012. The peloton waited for all those affected to arrive to get the competition back on track.
Boycott with “something foreign to the race”
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Pablo Lastras, director of Movistar, in statements to RTVE, has confirmed three punctures in his team and in Jumbo riders, INEOS Grenadiers and almost all the teams in the peloton. He does not confirm that it was due to thumbtacks but that it was due to “something unrelated to the race”.
Imanol Erviti, a cyclist from the same team, has also confirmed punctures due to thumbtacks. The peloton waited for all those affected to arrive to get back into the competition rhythm.