Wærenskjold slams Girmay after Tour sprint clash: ‘He rode like a complete idiot’

The Uno-X Mobility rider had been considered one of the main favourites for the stage after his impressive second place finish the previous day. However, he had to settle for 11th after losing crucial momentum in the final corner. Girmay, meanwhile, finished second in the sprint, which was once again won by Tim Merlier.

Wærenskjold believes repeated contact from Girmay played a major role in the outcome.

“He pushes like crazy. It makes me pretty angry... He pushed me throughout the entire corner. It was really irritating. He bumped into me several times and rode like a complete idiot,” Wærenskjold told TV 2 Norway.

The Norwegian also admitted that his position before the corner had not been ideal, but he felt Girmay’s actions made it impossible to recover.

“I was too far back and lost my momentum through the corner. I think the incident needs to be reviewed. He behaves like an idiot the whole way. It is desperate riding, and it is totally undeserved that he finishes ahead of me.”

Wærenskjold is no stranger to the physical nature of bunch sprints, but felt the incident went beyond what should be accepted.

“I get annoyed by that kind of behaviour. This was too much.,” he said.

Uno-X general manager Thor Hushovd said the team would review the footage before deciding whether further action was necessary.

“I can relate very well to that situation. It is part of sprinting. It is good that Søren is angry because it shows that he is in a good place, both mentally and physically,” Hushovd told TV 2.

Girmay gave a different account of the incident, telling Eurosport that he believed Wærenskjold had impeded him.

TV 2 initially reported that a UCI commissaire considered the contact to fall within what can be expected during a sprint and that Girmay would not face a formal sanction. 

However, the jury report later confirmed that Girmay, like Olav Kooij, had received a warning for intimidation during the sprint.