The Dutchman Elmar Reinders and top sprinter Tim Merlier will be grateful to the jury in the Tour de France. The two riders benefited on Friday in the mountain time trial from a more flexible time limit. Not everyone understood the late adjustment of the rules.
Reinders is sure of it immediately after his time trial to the ski resort of Peyragudes. His time of 31 minutes and 10 seconds is enough to be allowed to stay in the Tour. “I’m relaxed,” says the rider from Team Jayco AlUla to the NOS. “I knew roughly what I had to do, so this can’t go wrong.”
The Drenthe native is proven right hours later. His deficit to stage winner Tadej Pogacar is 8.09 minutes, which means he stays within the time limit. If Reinders had lost more than 9.12 minutes, he would not have been allowed to start in the fourteenth stage on Saturday. Now he stays in the Tour.
Reinders did receive help from the jury. They decided just before the tough 10.9-kilometer time trial to extend the time limit. Riders were allowed to be a maximum of 40 percent above the fastest time, and not 33 percent as stated in the Tour’s rule book. “All the weaker climbers are happy with that,” Reinders said.
With a time limit of 33 percent (7.35 minutes), Reinders, Mauro Schmid, Biniam Girmay, Arnaud Démare, Merlier and Luka Mezgez would have finished outside the time limit. As can be seen in the image below, Girmay did not go all out because he knew that the time limit had been extended. But he too will be grateful to the jury for a less stressful day.
Van Aert thinks that rule was adjusted much too late
Several riders who did not have to worry about the time limit were critical of the jury after their time trial. “I think it’s really disappointing that the time limit has suddenly been increased to 40 percent,” Wout van Aert told the NOS. The Belgian finished 52nd at 5.03 minutes.
“Nothing has changed in the circumstances of the time trial, we have known them for months. And suddenly, ten minutes before the start, the time limit is changed. I hope I don’t upset the sprinters with this, but something like that should be announced in advance and be clear. And certainly not be changed for no reason.”
Pascal Eenkhoorn was happy that his leader Merlier was helped by the jury, but the Dutchman from Soudal Quick-Step understood Van Aert’s criticism. “If you decide something like that, do it before the Tour. Not an hour before the start. I think a large part of the peloton agrees with that, but of course I’m happy for our team.”
Merlier himself said after his time trial to Sporza that he was going to watch the favorites “with a worried heart.” The two-time stage winner was eventually able to breathe a sigh of relief, although he will have to fight against the time limit again on Saturday. Then another tough Pyrenean stage is on the program.