Tactical choices at Alpecin-Deceuninck frustrate Iljo Keisse: “They made it difficult for everyone”

An almost certain sprinter’s chance that ends up in the attackers’ basket. The denouement of stage 5 in the Giro and the tactical decisions along the way provided food for thought for the fast men’s teams. “We all need to look in the mirror tonight.”

“There was no cooperation between the sprinter teams. It was also not the bottom four who were in the lead. The last 20 kilometers were on a downward slope and they also had a tailwind. Then something like that can happen,” says Iljo Keisse, team leader at Soudal. – Quick Step by Tim Merlier.

“Which team drove the smartest? Nobody. I don’t think we can blame ourselves. We did what we could and had to do.”

“We didn’t gamble, even when Alpecin-Deceuninck made our lives miserable on the climb. Then we immediately started again. All sprinter teams have to look in the mirror tonight.”

I find the way of racing at Alpecin-Deceuninck very frustrating.

Iljo Keisse (team leader Soudal-Quick Step)

Alpecin-Deceuninck raced very energetically, quickly taking advantage of the early breakaway and thus creating space for a second breakaway.

Will the sprinter teams learn lessons from this for the next opportunities?

“Let’s hope. I find the way of racing at Alpecin-Deceuninck very frustrating. They have made it difficult for everyone. They have a good sprinter themselves and a chance to win, but it is of no use to them now. Anyway, after the analysis It will become clear who was at fault.”

“The race is over… It was a great opportunity. We would have liked to give it to Tim Merlier. We have already won, so it is up to others to do the same now,” Keisse concludes.

Merlier also questioned Alpecin-Deceuninck’s approach. “It’s a strange tactic to drive other riders downhill. That’s how they killed themselves, I think.”

“Then you see what happens,” Merlier continued. “If you don’t work well together, you have a flight that keeps moving forward.”

In the Alpecin-Deceuninck camp, they also primarily looked at the strength of the leading group that remained in front.

“They worked well together and in the peloton they perhaps looked at us a little too much. That happens sometimes,” says sports director Preben Van Hecke.

“You can blame our tactics, but also those of the other teams. I also understand that they keep aloof when we try to outrun their sprinters uphill.”

“Although I thought that Lidl-Trek and Soudal-Quick Step were still somewhat present afterwards. Sometimes the escapees are just too strong. It is a missed opportunity and it was very quiet on the bus,” Van Hecke admits.