Tour de France: Tinkov wants to start a cycling revolution
Tinkoff-Saxo team owner launches a tirade against race organiser ASO
Oleg Tinkov sat quietly alongside Alberto Contador and Peter Sagan during the Tinkoff-Saxo outdoor press conference in Gap on the second rest day, preferring to let his riders face questions about the Tour de France.
The often outspoken Russian businessman confirmed he was happy with Peter Sagan’s performance in the Tour de France and his dominance of the green points jersey, despite not yet winning a stage. Tinkov only hogged the microphone near the end, when asked his opinion on the quality of the hotel the team was staying in Gap. It is unclear if Tinkov stayed with his riders in the Best Western or if he opted for a more luxurious hotel in the Alps.
“This is not the conditions the riders deserve. It’s not acceptable for such a big event. They race under the sun for six hours and for example Peter Sagan was the break for three consecutive days,” Tinkov said, wearing a yellow T-shirt like everyone in his team, in a sign of support for Ivan Basso, who recently underwent surgery for testicular cancer.
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Stephen is one of the most experienced member of the Cyclingnews team, having reported on professional cycling since 1994. He has been Head of News at Cyclingnews since 2022, before which he held the position of European editor since 2012 and previously worked for Reuters, Shift Active Media, and CyclingWeekly, among other publications.