Wout Poels has revealed details of the physical aggression he faced from Movistar at the recent Volta a Catalunya and how he made an official complaint to the UCI commissaires.
The Dutchman had run-ins with both Iván García Cortina and Nairo Quintana on the penultimate stage of the race on Saturday, the tough 155km mountain day to Queralt, that left him shocked and angry.
Speaking to AD.nl's cycling podcast In Koers, Poels said he made a complaint against García Cortina after being punched in the arm, while later in the day he was elbowed by Quintana.
"On the penultimate day, there was a technical descent in the stage after 13km. Everyone wants to sit in the front, so it was crowded," Poels said, according to WielerFlits.
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"Then Iván García Cortina from Movistar intervened just before the top. He sat up and punched me in my upper arm. He hit me really hard, and it hurt quite a bit. So, I then had a big argument with him. I asked why he did that. He said it's always the same tune with me. But I never ride uphill with him, because he's usually already dropped."
Poels said his complaint against the Spaniard resulted in a "disappointing" small fine and UCI points deduction.
"I didn't want to let him get away with that," he said.
"We talk a lot with the CPA about the safety of cycling. We often criticise organisers because the routes are not safe and then you have a rider who just throws a punch.
"I found the jury and filed a complaint. He got away with a fine of CHF300 and some UCI points deduction. That was a bit disappointing to me."
Later on during the same stage, Poels was on the receiving end of Nairo Quintana's elbow and responded with a quip about the Colombian's positive test for Tramadol at the 2022 Tour de France.
"We rode on a final climb, and I felt good. I wanted to move up, to be close to Tadej Pogacar, but no one let me in. So I decided to ride behind Enric Mas, next to Quintana," Poels said.
"That's annoying for him, but I wasn't riding so close to him that I tried to push him away. At one point he elbowed me and I got into an argument with him. I said that he was definitely on Tramadol again, which is why he was acting so aggressively."
There has so been no reaction from Movistar, García Cortina and Quintana. Racing and rivalry can lead to tension in the peloton but UCI rules forbid physical contact.
Geraint Thomas offered indirect support for his former teammate, calling Quintana "a f*cking little rat" on his latest podcast and suggesting he shuold not be racing after his positive test for Tramadol in 2022.
Poels' incidents weren't the only bust-ups on the day as another Dutch rider also got into a physical spat during the queen stage, with the incident caught on camera.
On the way up the mid-stage climb of the Coll de Pradell – shortly after a Visma-Lease A Bike soigneur inadvertently took out several riders after not moving out of the road quickly enough – Robert Gesink was caught on camera punching Kern Pharma rider Jorge Gutiérrez in the hip as the pair rode towards the rear of the peloton.
It's unclear if any complaint was made against the veteran climber, however, or if any fines were handed out for the action.
