Mas and Urán pleased with top 10 placings as race heads to Paris
Tony Martin and Tom Dumoulin in the offending garments during the stage 20 time trial(Image credit: Getty Images Sport)
While we're still digesting exactly what went down on the Tour de France's stage 20 time trial up La Planche des Belles Filles – Tadej Pogačar blowing away Primož Roglič to take a shock overall victory and Richie Porte taking his first Tour podium – there were several minor stories on Saturday, too.
It's a footnote in the devastation felt at Jumbo-Visma after Roglič's brutal loss, but two of his teammates got UCI fines for what they had on their jerseys during the 36km ride.
Elsewhere, Movistar delivered what, surprisingly, is their best Tour GC finish in five years, while Rigoberto Urán also consolidated a top 10, declaring himself pleased with how he and his fellow Colombians performed.
Read on for our roundup of news shorts from the penultimate stage of the 2020 Tour de France.
Martin and Dumoulin fines salt in the wound for Jumbo-Visma
After Primož Roglič's expected Tour de France coronation was ruined by an unbelievable ride from rival Tadej Pogačar to take yellow just one day from Paris, there was only more bad news for Jumbo-Visma on La Planche des Belles Filles.
In addition to that devastating blow, the team copped two 2,000CHF (£1,699) fines after Tom Dumoulin and Tony Martin were found to be in violation of UCI regulation 1.3.064.
That rule states that former world champions may wear rainbow bands on the collars and cuffs of their jerseys, but the ex-world TT champions' long-sleeved skinsuits instead featured the bands midway up their sleeves.
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The pair of fines will hardly register in the wake of Roglič's barely believable loss, but still, the reprimands are salt in the wound on what was a disastrous day for the Dutch squad.
Enric Mas delivers top 5 finish for Movistar
Enric Mas (Movistar) secured fifth overall with his time trial ride (Image credit: Getty Images Sport)
Spanish squad Movistar have had a largely quiet three weeks in France, a race free of the polemica that followed their 'trident' leadership of previous years, but also a race during which they haven't come close to a stage win.
Co-leader Enric Mas, a new signing for 2020, has saved their race, though, moving up to fifth after the La Planche des Belles Filles time trial – the team's best GC result since the podiums of Nairo Quintana and Alejandro Valverde in 2015.
After Saturday's stage, Mas – who passed Migel Ángel López on GC – said that he's pleased with how his first Tour at the team turned out, and proud to join fellow Spaniard Mikel Landa in the top 5. He'll be back in future and aiming for more, he added.
"It was a confusing end as we were waiting for Mikel Landa and we already gave up on top 5 a bit. But we were able to climb to that position we wanted before the start. It was a great result for Spanish cycling with Mikel and I in fourth and fifth – I think that's something to be proud of," he said.
"Regarding the team, the truth is that the balance is positive. We came in with some criticisms because our performances in previous races hadn't been the best, but little by little we have been growing and I think things have turned out well.
"I'm happy with the performance, but I would like to start the Tour a little better next year. Logically, I would like to finish as strong as this year, but at the same time, not waste that little bit of time in the early tough stages. We'll continue fighting in the coming years to get closer to the top."
Urán pleased with top 10 and with Colombia's Tour
EF Pro Cycling came to the Tour with a Colombian GC trident headed up by 2017 runner-up Rigoberto Urán and will come away pleased with their work over the last three weeks.
Urán secured eighth place on La Planche des Belles Filles, while his teammate, Critérium du Dauphiné winner Daniel Martínez took a memorable stage victory on the Puy Mary. Fellow Colombian Miguel Ángel López (Astana) also won a stage and finished in the top 10, two places up on Urán.
Defending champion Egan Bernal was forced to abandon with back pain while Nairo Quintana also fell out of contention due to injury, but Urán said after stage 20 that he was pleased with Colombian cycling's achievements at the race, adding that he's happy with his own race a year on from his horror crash at the Vuelta a España.
"Obviously, more was expected," he said. "But as a Colombian rather than a cyclist, I'm happy with what we've done here.
"When you are close to the podium, you get excited because it's very nice to finish there, but the level of all the riders is very high and you have to have good legs every day to do it.
"I had two days where I didn't have the best moment, but for me I'm happy to be here again. I'm blessed to be here and grateful to everyone who follows me."
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Dani Ostanek is Senior News Writer at Cyclingnews, joining in 2017 as a freelance contributor and later being hired full-time. Before joining the team, they had written for numerous major publications in the cycling world, including CyclingWeekly and Rouleur.
Dani has reported from the world's top races, including the Tour de France, Road World Championships, and the spring Classics. They have interviewed many of the sport's biggest stars, including Mathieu van der Poel, Demi Vollering, and Remco Evenepoel. Their favourite races are the Giro d'Italia, Strade Bianche and Paris-Roubaix.
