Only a day after Biking Weekly reported that at least six groups on the Tour de France have been threatening to stroll away from the deal that noticed their group radios broadcast on TV throughout the race, Visma-Lease a Bike and Ineos Grenadiers have instantly suspended their association with the race organisers, ASO.
Each Visma and Ineos refused entry to their inside communication to ASO on stage 19 of the Tour, and can equally not allow their group audios to be broadcast on tv throughout phases 20 and 21.
Earlier within the race, Jasper Saeijs, advertising supervisor at Visma-Lease a Bike, informed CW that the Dutch group have been sad with quite a lot of messages that have been broadcast throughout the 2023 race, and indicated that the group of the defending champion, Jonas Vingegaard, wouldn’t signal as much as the venture in 2025, except adjustments have been made.
With simply three days left to go of the 2024 race, nonetheless, they’ve already lower the cables. “From yesterday we suspended it till after the Tour,” Saeijs stated firstly of stage 20 in Good. “We had a variety of discussions about methods being communicated, what’s affecting the race and never, and we expect we have to type that out higher, then we are able to look to the longer term.” CW understands that Visma knowledgeable ASO of their determination after stage 17.
A group of three folks obtain audios from the 15 taking part groups and resolve what needs to be broadcast on TV, with a delay of between 15 and half-hour. Saeijs stated there wasn’t any particular incident within the final week that had compelled the group to make their determination, however that “it was counting up each day, and we determined to simply droop and take care of the Tour to see if it’s potential or to not proceed, and likewise the way in which to proceed.
He added: “We don’t actually have an issue [with ASO] however we have a look at issues in another way. One factor is we are able to’t belief the method for the upcoming phases that they’ll make determination on what’s technique and what’s affecting the race or not. That’s why we stated, ‘allow us to droop for now’, and we’ll take care of the Tour de France to see how we are able to do that higher.
“We’re nonetheless in favour of the whole lot that may interact followers within the sport… we’re actually professional fan engagement… however it may’t have an effect on the race and the race technique, and in our opinion it did this an excessive amount of. We aren’t the one group, there are extra groups that don’t actually like how it’s going.”
Half-a-dozen groups expressed their disappointment to CW in regards to the €5,000 they’re given for handing over entry to their group radios, however Visma insist that the monetary remuneration was not part of their determination.
A number of sources confirmed to CW that Ineos Grenadiers have additionally revoked entry, though a spokesperson for the British group declined to remark.
Earlier than the beginning of stage 20, two different groups informed CW of their dissatisfaction over group techniques apparently being aired on TV, however they each stated that they might stay dedicated till the top of the race
