Tour de France podcast: The fallout from Rowe and Martin being expelled

The latest episode of the Cyclingnews podcast was going to be based around Matteo Trentin (Mitchelton-Scott) and his win on stage 17 of the Tour de France, but then Jumbo-Visma's Tony Martin and Team Ineos' Luke Rowe decided to steal the limelight by having an altercation on the final climb of the stage.

Both riders were disqualified because of the incident after Martin tried to run Rowe off the road and the Ineos rider decided to retaliate by providing Martin with a close-up inspection of his right hand. The UCI regulators didn’t take too kindly and booted both riders out of the race.

There was a joint video from Rowe and Martin in which they apologised, but unless the UCI overturns its decision – and that’s unlikely – both Team Ineos and Jumbo-Visma will start stage 18 with a man less.

On Wednesday evening, the Cyclingnews team headed straight to the Team Ineos hotel to soak up the atmosphere and try to talk with the riders and staff. The latter proved impossible, but we do debate the race rules, ask if Team Ineos have a discipline problem and discuss how the loss of two key riders effects the race going forward.

Don’t forget you can win a signed EF Education First jersey from this year’s Tour de France. To be in with a chance, just subscribe to our podcast on Itunes or Podbean. We’ll pick a winner later in the race.

Sponsor message

Born in the Italian Dolomites, Sportful has been making athletes faster, more efficient and better protected since 1972. Official apparel supplier to Team Virtu Cycling, Bora-Hansgrohe and Bahrain Merida.

The same Pro Issue apparel, which includes our BodyFit Pro and Fiandre lines, worn by Marta Bastianelli, Peter Sagan and Vincenzo Nibali is available to purchase by all cyclists.

BodyFit Pro; a form fitting design with a focus on enhanced aerodynamics was created specifically for the rigours of pro bike racing. Our versatile Fiandre line uses proprietary technology to keep you dry and comfortable in inclement, variable weather conditions.

Sportful leads the market with innovative and technical apparel so you can experience those unforgettable moments, your very best days on a bike. For more details visit sportful.com. Follow the ride on instagram @sportful.