Van Hummel laughs off Greipel's gripes

Kenny Van Hummel has laughed off criticism from rival sprinter Andre Greipel after the final stage of the Tour of Turkey. The Skil-Shimano rider narrowly edged out the Omega Pharma-Lotto rider for the stage win.

According to Van Hummel, Greipel accused him of hanging on to the team cars in the mountains, giving him an advantage in the finale of the stage.

"I laugh about it," Van Hummel told De Telegraaf. "If the guys win, you hear nothing. And if you say something, you're just a bad loser.”

Van Hummel admitted that he has been punished for this very offence in the past. “I'm not a saint. But they shouldn't complain, all sprinters do something sometimes.”

He pointed out that he has been punished by a race jury, but figured they didn't find it such a serious offence. “If I had done something really unacceptable, they would have taken me out of the race.”

The stage win at the Tour of Turkey was Van Hummel's fourth victory of this season. Earlier this month the 28-year-old Dutchman won both stages of the Ronde van Drenthe to take the overall title.