Tour de France: 'Let them fry themselves' - Ineos star Luke Rowe 'very surprised' at Jumbo-Visma tactics

UAE Team Emirates will be happy to let Jumbo-Visma «fry themselves» in their ultra-aggressive defence of the yellow jersey, according to Ineos Grenadiers star Luke Rowe. Gone are the days of Team Sky, now Ineos, sucking the soul out of the Tour de France with their unbreakable mountain train. Instead, Jumbo-Visma have adopted an unusual approach to defending the overall lead for Jonas Vingegaard – all out attack.

Ad Those tactics have already prompted serious scepticism at various points in the Tour. EF Education-EasyPost boss Jonathan Vaughters said their plan to «kill» the race on Stage 6 backfired, while their relentless pace on the front was questioned again on Stage 9 when it inadvertently teed up rival Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) to take back time. Tour de France'The most bonkers thing is what UAE and Jumbo were doing' — Unpicking the madness on Stage 122 HOURS AGO Undeterred, they dived straight into Stage 12's chaotic start by sending Wout van Aert, and then Tiesj Benoot, up the road – often leaving Vingegaard playing the unfamiliar role of closing down gaps on the front of a shredded peloton.

UAE were happy to be involved too, with Pogacar looking lively in the Dane's wheel. Rowe dialled into The Breakaway after Thursday's stage and said that while Jumbo-Visma's «flamboyant» tactics were a better spectacle, it was not the smartest way to defend the leader's jersey. Asked if he was surprised at how the Dutch team had ridden so far, Rowe said: «Yeah, very surprised actually.

»We had a bit of a different take on that back in the day when we were controlling the jersey. It was all for one cause and that was purely and solely bringing that yellow jersey home. «Whereas they've gone a bit more flamboyant which is