Tour de France Tour de France 2025 Stage 15: Muret – Carcassonne (169.3k)

[Tricycle Rider]

This is one of the grumpiest, calling-people-out-est interviews I’ve seen in a long time. Can’t argue with too much of what he says, but dude. People aren’t generally going to ride cooperatively in a Tour stage. Every man for himself.

This stuff will wear thin. Grow up a bit.

That said, I’m rooting for anyone in the Stars and Stripes. 👍

There was another interview posted where Simmons was just in a regular t-shirt presumably after he had showered and in it he sounded even saltier. I was reminded of Armstrong interviews where Armstrong was downright combative in his answers if he didn't like the questions or the interviewer, not exactly a memory I treasure. That's not to say Simmons was wrong, but he needs to learn how to talk to the media so he doesn't come across like such a *** that is hard to root for.

 

[scribers]

I actually didnt mind his comments. It gives you a really clear idea of what happens in those groups and how they play out. Wellens could point to the yellow jersey. Campi pointed at Wout. Apparently Wout pointed at his legs (I added that part).

He threw his team under the bus too. They want the green jersey, he wants a stage. He’s paid to not complain to the press, I would think. Wasn’t he a last minutes add to the roster? This was less forgivable

 

[jono]

Congratulations to Tim Wellens for winning from the breakaway.

Too bad a crash determined the formation of a breakaway as a lot of cyclists had this stage underlined.

The breakaway had like 40 riders in it at one point. Almost everyone who wasn't a GC rider or sprinter or full time bottle boy managed to make it in anyway.

 

[Rob5091]

UAE first, Visma second. Déjà vu all over again!
A scrappy day when most seemed to be thinking only of the rest day.

 

[Lequack]

INTERVIEW | Wout van Aert hits back at Tadej Pogacar: “Dropping back to Vingegaard would’ve been *truly* sportsmanlike”

Wout van Aert slaat terug naar Tadej Pogacar: “Terugzakken naar Vingegaard was écht sportief geweest”

Lees Wout van Aerts reactie op de tactiekkritiek van Tadej Pogačar tijdens de Tour. Ontdek wat er werkelijk speelde en volg de strijd om de gele trui. Lees nu!

www.wielerflits.nl

Meanwhile on the other side:

Bjarne Riis: "After Sunday’s stage, it’s a legitimate question to ask whether Jonas should start looking for another team. They clearly don’t have him as their top priority. It’s so disappointing to watch"

Bjarne Riis: 'Lige nu kører Jonas for det forkerte hold'

»Holdet hakker ham midt over, og jeg synes virkelig, at det er uforskammet.«

www.bt.dk

 

[QueenStagiaire]

Honestly, it might even be favorable to let Pogačar dangle out there trying to not get dropped by everyone attacking as opposed to pulling your entire team back to close a gap when the only GC rider ahead has no interest in pushing to extend that gap.

 

[yaco]

I actually didnt mind his comments. It gives you a really clear idea of what happens in those groups and how they play out. Wellens could point to the yellow jersey. Campi pointed at Wout. Apparently Wout pointed at his legs (I added that part).

He threw his team under the bus too. They want the green jersey, he wants a stage. He’s paid to not complain to the press, I would think. Wasn’t he a last minutes add to the roster? This was less forgivable

If you play this card then you will never have a breakaway because everyone has teammates behind.

 

[awavey]

INTERVIEW | Wout van Aert hits back at Tadej Pogacar: “Dropping back to Vingegaard would’ve been *truly* sportsmanlike”

Wout van Aert slaat terug naar Tadej Pogacar: “Terugzakken naar Vingegaard was écht sportief geweest”

Lees Wout van Aerts reactie op de tactiekkritiek van Tadej Pogačar tijdens de Tour. Ontdek wat er werkelijk speelde en volg de strijd om de gele trui. Lees nu!

www.wielerflits.nl

Meanwhile on the other side:

Bjarne Riis: "After Sunday’s stage, it’s a legitimate question to ask whether Jonas should start looking for another team. They clearly don’t have him as their top priority. It’s so disappointing to watch"

Bjarne Riis: 'Lige nu kører Jonas for det forkerte hold'

»Holdet hakker ham midt over, og jeg synes virkelig, at det er uforskammet.«

www.bt.dk

So he's saying UAE should have allowed them in the break ? so they could win the stage without Wellins and UAE help Jonas at the same time...that's not how that works is it ?

 

[Danskebjerge]

Bjarne Riis: "After Sunday’s stage, it’s a legitimate question to ask whether Jonas should start looking for another team. They clearly don’t have him as their top priority. It’s so disappointing to watch"

He has a valid point in this case. But it has to be said, Riis imo always over-emphasised the role of the team. Like when he time and time again talks about having riders in early breakaways in order for them to help the captain later. His view on stage races is quite dated, I think, but when Vingegaard yesterday closed the gap to the group with his teammates, I was thinking "Visma doesn't care about Jonas". I sort of hope he'll have a puncture or something to show how dangerous it is to leave a captain all by himself.

 

[Rechtschreibfehler]

I actually didnt mind his comments. It gives you a really clear idea of what happens in those groups and how they play out. Wellens could point to the yellow jersey. Campi pointed at Wout. Apparently Wout pointed at his legs (I added that part).

He threw his team under the bus too. They want the green jersey, he wants a stage. He’s paid to not complain to the press, I would think. Wasn’t he a last minutes add to the roster? This was less forgivable

Yeah the complaining about motos, okay, I somewhat get it. He also didn't say once that Wellens didn't deserve the win, he just seemed upset that things didn't go exactly as he wanted. But he talked about a disagreement before the stage if he had to help Milan because it would be bad for his breakaway ambitions and seemed very happy about how that ended. I'd be really unhappy if my rider took this business outside to the press, but honestly probably also about having to discuss with your late addition to the roster, if he has to help the team fulfill it's mission.

 

[Valv.Piti]

He has a valid point in this case. But it has to be said, Riis imo always over-emphasised the role of the team. Like when he time and time again talks about having riders in early breakaways in order for them to help the captain later. His view on stage races is quite dated, I think, but when Vingegaard yesterday closed the gap to the group with his teammates, I was thinking "Visma doesn't care about Jonas". I sort of hope he'll have a puncture or something to show how dangerous it is to leave a captain all by himself.

Situation was always under control, 100 out of a 100 times Jonas comes back in this situation. Pog was literally the only GC relevant rider in front with zero teammates after Wellens joined the break. It was a good analysis by Niermann once again. Jonas closed the gap for some reason alone despite a full peloton being 10 seconds behind the Pog group. That was rather nonsensical, but made for some great headlines in Danish media.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Yeah the complaining about motos, okay, I somewhat get it. He also didn't say once that Wellens didn't deserve the win, he just seemed upset that things didn't go exactly as he wanted. But he talked about a disagreement before the stage if he had to help Milan because it would be bad for his breakaway ambitions and seemed very happy about how that ended. I'd be really unhappy if my rider took this business outside to the press, but honestly probably also about having to discuss with your late addition to the roster, if he has to help the team fulfill it's mission.

Simmons is right though. Makes no sense to kill the rest of your team in pursuit of this green jersey, especially not on a break day like this when you have multiple good cards to play, namely himself. Milan is just really cooked right now

 

[Danskebjerge]

Situation was always under control, 100 out of a 100 times Jonas comes back in this situation. Pog was literally the only GC relevant rider in front with zero teammates after Wellens joined the break. It was a good analysis by Niermann once again. Jonas closed the gap for some reason alone despite a full peloton being 10 seconds behind the Pog group. That was rather nonsensical, but made for some great headlines in Danish media.

Team mates are there for being in control. You're not in control if you rely completely on other teams to draw your captain back. Besides, as I mentioned, the captain should never be last man in case of a mechanical.

Vingegaard wasn't happy either. It's not the first time Visma has made questionable decisions without getting much out of it in the other end.

 

[Didinho]

Aftermath with Wellens and Campenaerts.

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[Valv.Piti]

Team mates are there for being in control. You're not in control if you rely completely on other teams to draw your captain back. Besides, as I mentioned, the captain should never be last man in case of a mechanical.

Vingegaard wasn't happy either. It's not the first time Visma has made questionable decisions without getting much out of it in the other end.

They didnt rely competely on other teams. They had 4 riders there and Bora and Movistar helped them out a bit. It was ALWAYS going to come together. Always. You don't drop WVA and Campenaerts out of the group for better "optics" or whatever the arguments. Look at the interview below - great analysis as is most often the case with Niermann. His idea of riding GC unfortunately isn't sit 7 men around Jonas for 3 weeks, and that has shown 5 years in a row now, so I don't know why you guys act surprised. Jumbo as across those 5 years been the stronger of the teams and especially 2022 (where Visma funnily enough receive the most amount of criticism) was the catalysator of the win. Swap teams, and Pog wins that race.
Niermann

 

[CyclistAbi]

Imagine if Pogi would start pushing at the front, ultimate move.

 

[Rechtschreibfehler]

Simmons is right though. Makes no sense to kill the rest of your team in pursuit of this green jersey, especially not on a break day like this when you have multiple good cards to play, namely himself. Milan is just really cooked right now

He may be right, but it's still wrong from the teams perspective to take it out to the media like this. Also he can disagree and voice his disagreement and accept that he get's overruled and live on. This way he just makes the impression that he has an inflated sense of his own importance.

 

[Tricycle Rider]

He may be right, but it's still wrong from the teams perspective to take it out to the media like this. Also he can disagree and voice his disagreement and accept that he get's overruled and live on. This way he just makes the impression that he has an inflated sense of his own importance.

Yeah, while maybe frowned upon some riders can afford to complain like he did because they have the experience and the palmares to back their complaints up. Simmons doesn't.

 

[Tim Cahill]

Loved Simmons bitter interview, what an arsehole, more of this please

 

[Danskebjerge]

They didnt rely competely on other teams. They had 4 riders there and Bora and Movistar helped them out a bit. It was ALWAYS going to come together. Always. You don't drop WVA and Campenaerts out of the group for better "optics" or whatever the arguments. Look at the interview below - great analysis as is most often the case with Niermann. His idea of riding GC unfortunately isn't sit 7 men around Jonas for 3 weeks, and that has shown 5 years in a row now, so I don't know why you guys act surprised. Jumbo as across those 5 years been the stronger of the teams and especially 2022 (where Visma funnily enough receive the most amount of criticism) was the catalysator of the win. Swap teams, and Pog wins that race.
Niermann

As I said, I don't agree with the old Armstrong or Riis approach about always having the captain surrounded by team mates. But I don't agree with Visma's laissez-faire method either. Nor does Vingegaard, and it seems Visma themselves realised they overestimated how easy it was to get back.

This all has to be put in context with Simon Yates going into an ambitious mountain breakaway and then a couple of days later not being able to help his captain in other mountains. Etc etc. It's not the way a contender for the GC win wants it.

 

[postmanhat]

Loved Simmons bitter interview, what an arsehole, more of this please

It's hilarious that Simmons is being criticised on here for saying pretty much what was said in this race thread, and countless others. Horrible group dynamics leading to a boring stage, and tiny-minded team tactics.

 

[Moose McKnuckles]

You can't get mad at racers both when they give boring, milquetoast interviews AND when they're fired up and speak their minds. I mean, really.