The aggressive sprints of the Jasper Philipsen-Mathieu Van der Poel duo had already lit a first fire last summer. “I try to be nice but it’s difficult,” replied the Belgian before this Tour de France, a sign that he was not going to calm down anytime soon. The stormy finish in Saint-Vulbas and then the Belgian’s disqualification in Dijon confirmed this trend. This Thursday, Arnaud Démare closed the door on Wout Van Aert by squeezing him on his right, and that put a coin in the machine. “It’s not clear! What is allowed? What should I say to Biniam (Girmay)? I’m a bit lost. We’re in the Wild West!” complained Aike Visbeek, the sports director of Intermarché-Wanty, on Monday.
