In case you woke up this morning like Remco in a crowded finish area, here’s what you may have missed over the bank holiday weekend on road.cc:
> Remco Evenepoel left bloodied and dazed after crashing into soigneur after winning Vuelta Stage 3
> Jeremy Vine calls for drivers to be banned from overtaking cyclists in cities
> Shocking footage shows fire engine driver responding to emergency call hitting cyclist
> Pro cyclist suspended for shoving rival in heated post-race confrontation
> Giant warns bike buyers of scam website and is working to get it removed
Despite a pitch-black, waterlogged team time trial in Barcelona, a row with other teams over the pressure exerted on the front of the bunch in the rain the following day, a crash for Primož Roglič (who else?), and Remco Evenepoel adding yet another layer of explosivity to his seemingly unending list of powers, Jumbo-Visma have emerged from a rough and rowdy opening few days at the Vuelta a España relatively unscathed.
After yesterday’s mountain top sprint in Andorra (more on that in a bit), the Dutch team boast four riders in the top 15 on GC, with their two big hitters, Roglič and Jonas Vingegaard, appearing serenely within touching distance of the non-brake applying Belgian champion Evenepoel.
However, there’s another storm Jumbo-Visma will be hoping they can weather just as easily as the one in northern Spain over the past three days.
Yesterday, it was confirmed that German authorities have opened a criminal investigation into Michel Hessmann, the 22-year-old Jumbo-Visma rider who tested positive for a banned diuretic earlier this month, leading to his immediate suspension by the team until further notice.
> Jumbo-Visma rider Michel Hessmann suspended after positive anti-doping test
Dutch TV station NOS have reported that the investigation included a raid on Hessmann’s Freiburg home, a throwback for those who remember the myriad doping scandals that emerged from Germany in the 2000s, a legacy from which cycling’s reputation in the country is only beginning to recover in recent years.
No doping substances were found during the search as Hessmann’s home, though police said they seized a number of data storage devices, such as phones and computers.
(Zac Williams/SWpix.com)
“On August 16, Hessmann called us after the police raided his home,” a Jumbo-Visma spokesperson said.
“Shortly afterwards, we posted what we know about the matter on X [formerly Twitter]. We do not know any more than we did then and are awaiting the outcome. Neither the German judiciary nor the German doping authority has contacted us for information or questions.”
German prosecutors, who say the investigation is solely centred on Hessmann, added: “Whether this will lead to a criminal prosecution is still open and depends on the results of the investigation. The suspect will be heard before a final judgment follows. It is up to him to prove his innocence.”
Earlier this month, Jumbo-Visma sports director Merijn Zeeman said the team would support Hessmann – who finished third at last year’s Tour de l’Avenir and helped teammate Roglič win the Giro d’Italia this year – in the wake of his positive test.
“As a human being, he deserves our support,” Zeemann said. “Make no mistake, this is about a 22-year-old athlete whose whole world has completely collapsed. We’re also keeping an eye on that mental part.”