Jérôme Pineau doubled down on the ‘old pro screaming at the clouds’ trope when he criticized Lance Armstrong’s advice for Tadej Pogačar to keep a low profile.
Questions arose regarding Tadej Pogačar’s surprising Stage 17 attack. Traditionally, the yellow jersey would cruise in, but Pogačar gained a two-second advantage over Jonas Vingegaard. With a substantial lead, he was already poised to win the Tour de France. However, speculation about his performances and a reversal on carbon monoxide training raised concerns about possible doping. Lance Armstrong, stripped of seven Tour titles for drugs, expressed surprise at the attack amid ongoing discussions.
“It was really unnecessary to attack like that,” the American said during the Move podcast. “This will only draw more attention to Pogačar. If there’s already speculation about his performance, this certainly doesn’t help. Moreover, it doesn’t win him any favours.”
Armstrong, who once countered drug rumours with misleading media appearances, believed Pogačar’s attack was excessive and could fuel further speculation about his performances.
“Not just within the peloton, but also in the media. If I could advise Pogačar: try to maintain a low profile. Sometimes you have to consider how people perceive you,” he said. “As a rider, you must remember that the Tour isn’t solely a sporting event; it’s also a political one. I’ve been in his position before, and then people tapped me on the shoulder and said it wasn’t necessary. I truly believe this won’t help. All he needs to do now is stay on his bike for the remaining stages. He’s already won the Tour; it’s settled.”
When asked about his reason for attacking, Pogačar dismissed it. “I don’t know why I did it; sometimes I don’t even understand myself,” he admitted.
In the podcast Les Grandes Gueules du Sport, the former French pro did not hold back about Armstrong’s words. He said, “This is another lesson from a guy who did exactly the opposite.” Then it became borderline: “The fact that he talks about humility and values is like [former serial killer] Marc Dutroux talking to you about raising your children.”
Pineau didn’t stop there.
“Apart from the fact that he stole seven Tours de France and lied to millions of men and women suffering from cancer, he politicized his sport to the point of buying the authorities, he was…
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