Jonathan Vaughters is one of the most interesting characters in the peloton. The American is the head of the EF Education team, which fans consider the most “hipster” in the field. This is due to the players starting in its colors, who stand out, among others. hairstyles or lifestyle, and the team itself can surprise with specially prepared T-shirts for individual races.
Thibaut Pinot, on the other hand, is a real star of the peloton, who has fought for victories many times over the years in the biggest races in the world. The French has third place in the Tour de France 2014. During his career, the player born and living in the Vosges Mountains was primarily unlucky, having to withdraw from the Giro d’Italia 2018 on the penultimate day, being practically certain of a place on the podium, or the Tour de France 2019 due to injury, with a huge chance of winning the general classification.
Passive Cepeda and disgusted Pinot
The source of the conflict between Vaughters and Pinot was the thirteenth stage of this year’s Giro d’Italia. At that time, in the Swiss Alps, the Frenchman fought for a stage win with the Colombian Jefferson Cepeda representing the colors of EF Education. On the final climb to Crans Montana, Pinot repeatedly attacked, trying to lose the Vaughters rider, but he was able to get on his wheel, later not taking the lead and going on an alibi. As a result, both competitors were reconciled by the second Colombian Einer Rubio at the finish line, and Pinot did not bite his tongue during talks with the media.
– Cepeda was a pain in my ass. Whatever was going to happen on the last climb, I didn’t want him to win. If it were up to me, I would do anything not to win. I gave everything myself to take the stage and he did nothing,” Pinot told RAI.
Vaughters heated up the atmosphere. He criticized Pinot
A few days later, after stage number 15, EF Education team boss Jonathan Vaughters decided to heat up the atmosphere on social media. After losing his competitor Ben Healy at the finish of the stage ending in Bergamo, the American hit Thibaut Pinot on Twitter.
“I’m proud that Ben Healy congratulated the winner (Brandon McNulty – ed.) after the stage and didn’t go to the media to cry that life is sometimes unfair. Great performance, great man, great player,” Vaughters wrote.
Pinot’s answer was not long in coming. A few moments later, the Frenchman summed up the American with one very expressive sentence, “Who are you?” – wrote a representative of the Groupama team – FDJ.
An unexpected guest. Lance Armstrong took the floor
When the cycling community gathered in social media started a discussion about Vaughters’ behavior, champion Lance Armstrong, deleted from all lists, appeared out of nowhere in the thread. The American did not mince words and directly attacked a former colleague with whom he raced in his prime.
“Who is he? He’s a fucking clown. At least he’s always been one in the last thirty years that we’ve known each other,” Armstrong wrote.
Although the American has been persona non grata in the peloton for many years, his opinion on Vaughters interested many fans. The head of the EF Education team is one of the players who admitted to using doping at the turn of the century. Despite this, unlike Armstrong, he was never banned from continuing his cycling activities.
After Tuesday’s seventeenth stage of the Giro d’Italia, there was a big reshuffle in the general classification. Briton Geraint Thomas moved up to the leader position, earning more than 30 seconds over his most dangerous rival, Primog Roglic, on the climb to Monte Bondone. Tuesday’s winner, Joao Almeida of Portugal, is still in the fight for victory in the race.
2023-05-24 15:22:00
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