'A slap in the face' - Reaction to 'pointless' incident that left Wout van Aert 'peeved' at Tour de France

Eurosport cycling expert Adam Blythe has given his views on the controversial incident that saw Nils Eekhoff (Team DSM) deny Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma) points at the Tour de France. Van Aert has said afterwards that it was “sad” that Eekhoff had surged ahead of him to pick up full points during the intermediate sprint on Stage 16. The Belgian had started the day on a near-insurmountable tally of 378 in the green jersey points classification and has since all-but clinched the green jersey at this year's race.

Ad/> The 27-year-old was left peeved when Eekhoff, who started the day on zero points, needlessly kicked clear near the line of the only intermediate sprint of the stage at Lavelanet. Blythe has been left as baffled as Van Aert by the incident. Tour de FranceTour de France Stage 18: Route map, how to watch as Pogacar prepares to launch big attack15 HOURS AGO «We saw an intermediate sprint, Wout van Aert sitting on the front of a breakaway, and he's in the green jersey,» Blythe explained.

«So getting those green jersey points, the maximum, just to top up what he's got. There was a DSM rider that came over the top of him and took those points for no apparent reason. »He is not in the competition.

He is not taking points off anyone for his team-mates behind. So it was just a bit of a… I don't know what he was doing! It was just pointless. ‘Sad’ – Van Aert hits out at Eekhoff for 'joke' points move Why Pogacar has to 'throw everything at it' on Stage 18 to reel in Vingegaard Opinion: Three-man UAE Team Emirates put all eight Ineos Grenadiers to the sword «It was a waste of energy for the DSM rider, and also a bit of a slap in the face to Wout van Aert, just not respecting him getting those points.