This is long standing observed behavior, it's never ok to begin close quarters drafting of another rider without mutual coordination. Often pros will do in or out of saddle intervals based on individual, more rare to see a group interval.
On UAE rides for example and a couple of conti teams in Belgium they often use a shooter for logistics.
Carry gels, bottles, flat repair, sometimes wheels, often primary purpose to carry discarded clothing items, riders wear gloves, hats, vests, rain jacket, etc and hand unwanted clothing to scooter. Often scooter will try and make a traffic break to side or rear of pro riders either single file or 2 up, depending on what is going on for the days objective riders will stay on the front and peel after time or effort, team riders are often riding very close together, not uncommon to bump body or arm of teammate. Also a tire touch is something that happens.
Friends, family, fans are seldom included on training rides, certainly by invitation and certainly with behavior defined.
Don't go to the front, don't take pulls, don't get into the rotation, don't talk or touch riders from the team. If you are keeping the wheel of top pros it's because they are allowing you to do it, and if you are keeping the wheel of a TDF winner it's out of general confusion...
Something like what is this guy doing?
If there was a scooter or moto that person typically comes up and says don't join, interrupt pro team formation.. It's just accepted riding etiquette.
The comments by the offending rider are true and correct he just doesn't know what he is doing, appears to have a bad case of self importance.
There are no such things as fake WT pros if you can be a WT pro rider you have a job, you can't fake it. Lots of wannabes that roll with some pros for a few kilometers while they are out just turning it over and it means something to some people, it's insignificant. If you tell someone you were riding pace with Vingegaard, someone at a coffee shop might not know better but anyone who has been around high level conti riders or WT professionals knows that they can destroy you in just a few meters of output.
Cycling News piece on internet giving misleading diet and other nutrition advice to amateur riders , videos titled " what pros eat "" how pros train " majority of the videos are silly and inaccurate.
I think riders like Jonas or Pogacar just assume that if someone is fit, decent bike, decent skills, looks the part that they no better than to get in the mix and possibly crash someone. Just like everything in life common sense is not that common. More teams are going to have a follow vehicle or have scooter or motorcycle to relay warnings to eager riders looking to have fun or make a statement.
Here's an example of everyone working off same script and people pros and non pros in control, in the rain, dozens of other videos of people being pests.
Visma mixed message
Peter Sagan rode a bit in S. California over the years and it was just a given that you stay back and observe and don't insert yourself into the story or conversation. Chris Horner used San Diego as training when he was a pro and he was overly familiar with hundreds of people who knew him as a junior and knew him before pro license but still people were respectful. This current situation is just evolution, more handheld recording devices, you can just expect people to make more recording even when it's the wrong time or dangerous.
San Diego zoo has signs all over " don't feed the animals " there are just those people.
Very disturbing and disappointing that being a pro rider, someone recognized means your personal space is suddenly public domain.
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