Pogacar's key domestique Politt rejects criticism of behaviour

Nils Politt has shrugged off criticism of his behaviour on stage 16 of the Tour de France, when the UAE Team Emirates-XRG rider appeared to admonish riders for attempting to attack from the peloton and bridge up to the break.

French national coach Thomas Voeckler was among the most vocal critics of Politt’s actions. “I hate riders who, under the pretext that they are stronger or in big teams, want to lay down the law. These are detestable attitudes,” said Voeckler, who was aboard a motorbike in the race in his role as a reporter for France Télévisions.

Politt has been one of Tadej Pogacar’s key domestiques on this Tour and the German has been policing the head of the peloton for much of his leader’s tenure in the yellow jersey. At the start of stage 17 in Bollène, Politt suggested that he had been enforcing an unwritten rule when he shut down the attacks of riders including Ivan Romeo (Movistar).

“That was nothing special,” Politt told Sporza. “We were trying to control the stage. In one moment, the break was gone with 1:20. Tadej stopped for a pee, and when the yellow jersey stops for a pee, half the bunch stops for a natural break. 

“Me and Tadej stopped first and we were also first back in the bunch again. They started attacking in front again when there were still 30 or 40 guys back in the cars. I learned this in my career, that if the yellow jersey stops there is quiet for a moment and everybody stops attacking. But maybe there is a new rule in cycling, and we have to learn about this.”

Earlier in the Tour, Politt’s teammate Tim Wellens denied that UAE Team Emirates-XRG had a ‘blacklist’ of riders that they did not want to allow into breakaways on the Tour.

“If you were to look inside our bus, you’d see there’s nothing posted on our fridge door,” Wellens told Sporza. “Or rather: just our weight before and after the stage. But no, there is no list of names of riders who are not allowed to ride away in the breakaway.”