Tour de France: 'I don't understand it at all' – Tom Dumoulin criticises Wout van Aert for Stage 10 attack

Wout van Aert is still chasing a first win at the 2023 Tour de France, having won at least one stage at each of the last four editions. The Belgian looked primed to win on Stage 2, only to see his Jumbo-Visma team-mates fail to snuff out an attack from Victor Lafay in the final kilometre. Now his former team-mate, Tom Dumoulin, has criticised him for an audacious move on Stage 10.

Tom Dumoulin admits he "did not understand" why Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma) followed, and then contributed to, an ambitious attack from Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) on Stage 10 at the Tour de France.

With 50km remaining on the run to Issoire on Tuesday, and the gap to the leaders around three minutes, Van Aert followed a move from his cyclocross rival Van der Poel off the front of the peloton on the long descent to the foot of the final climb.

The famous rivals quickly racked up a gap of 45 seconds over the bunch but never closed within two minutes of the leaders, prompting first Van der Poel, and then belatedly Van Aert, to knock off the pace.

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Van Aert's primary objective at the Tour is helping Jonas Vingegaard defend the yellow jersey, prompting criticism for his former team-mate Dumoulin.

"I don't understand it at all. I still understand from Mathieu that he will play a bit and drive on for a while. Wout is accidentally in his wheel, but then takes over and continues to drive. I did not understand that," Dumoulin said on Vive le Velo.

"Wout didn't have a good ride. He really 'threw' his powers. At a certain moment, he had to realise when it was not really necessary. The team might have needed him at a later time.

"If you want to win the Tour with Vingegaard, Van Aert should not actually do this. With one climb to go and 2'30" from the leading group, you no longer have to attack. The chance is minimal that you will join the leading group.

"That was wasted energy. In the first place for himself, but also for the team."

Wout van Aert y Tom Dumoulin

Image credit: Getty Images

Jumbo-Visma's tactics have come under scrutiny already. On Stage 2, Vingegaard was criticised for not helping in the chase of Victor Lafay (Cofidis) as Van Aert was denied victory, while EF Education-EasyPost boss Jonathan Vaughters said the team's plan to "kill" the race on Stage 6 backfired.

However, Dumoulin did reserve some praise for Van Aert and said he was unfortunate to have not claimed a 10th win at the Tour.

"Until today, Wout van Aert has done everything right, he has been a super team-mate for Jonas Vingegaard," said Dumoulin.

"Jumbo-Visma has only one goal and that is to win the Tour. Wout can take his chance in the stages that suit him. They also went for him in the second stage, but Vingegaard was told before the Tour that he should not help Van Aert – although he should have done it then."

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