Caleb Ewan slams commissaires after Tour de France fine: 'They have no idea what’s going on'
Alpecin-Fenix's sports director Christophe Roodhooft was fined for pacing the Australian


Caleb Ewan has criticised the Tour de France's commissaires after he was fined following an alleged illegal move on stage 13 of the race.
The Lotto-Soudal rider crashed with 71km of the stage remaining, and he remained by the side of the road for a few minutes while doctors checked him and cleared him of concussion. He hurt his knee and shoulder in the incident but was able to complete the stage.
As he tried to get back to the day's peloton in the hope of a bunch sprint, Ewan benefited from sitting behind the Alpecin-Fenix car for a period of time, the Belgian team also wanting a sprint finish for their own fast man Jasper Philipsen.
The UCI's commissaires, however, objected to Ewan drafting, and fined him 200CHF, as well as docking him points in the points and mountain classification. Christoph Roodhooft, sports director at Alpecin, was fined for 500CHF, even though the driver of the car was Michel Cornelisse.
Ewan admitted at the start of stage 14 that he wasn't aware that he had been fined, but was highly critical of the commissaires.
"I don’t know exactly what the rules are," he said. "I think the thing is, the UCI are always talking about our safety, and if they want us to sit on the side of the road and actually get checked… yesterday I had a smashed helmet, so the obvious thing for me to do was to sit there and get checked by the doctors before I got back on my bike and kept going.
"To stay in the race, you need some assistance, [as] you’re already a couple of minutes out of the back. It wasn’t even like I was tagged onto the bunch, I was tagged onto a dropped bunch.
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
"I think it’s a bit disappointing with them because if they want us to just jump straight back on with concussion or something, and try to get as back to the bunch as quick as possible, that’s probably the worst thing you can do.
"I was a bit disappointed with the commissaries but most of the time they have no idea what’s going on, anyway."
In the end, a bunch sprint never eventuated, with Mads Pedersen (Trek-Segafredo) winning a three-man sprint from the break, meaning that the race still hasn't witnessed a bunch sprint since its return to France after the Grand Départ in Denmark.
"I think everybody in the convoy knows that I wasn't dropped because I was out of the back - I just crashed," Ewan continued.
"It was a rival team’s car and Alpecin knew that if I got back to the bunch, then maybe I would have beaten [Jasper] Philipsen.
"But they still helped me anyway because they knew that the position I was in was a disadvantage anyway, so it was nice of them to do that. Shame on the commissaires for doing that."
Thank you for reading 20 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access
Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
Join now for unlimited access
Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
A freelance sports journalist and podcaster, you'll mostly find Chris's byline attached to news scoops, profile interviews and long reads across a variety of different publications. He has been writing regularly for Cycling Weekly since 2013. In 2024 he released a seven-part podcast documentary, Ghost in the Machine, about motor doping in cycling.
Previously a ski, hiking and cycling guide in the Canadian Rockies and Spanish Pyrenees, he almost certainly holds the record for the most number of interviews conducted from snowy mountains. He lives in Valencia, Spain.
-
Can anyone stop Primož Roglič or Juan Ayuso from winning the Giro d’Italia?
Roglič and Ayuso's form suggest they are the two outright favourites for overall victory in Rome next month
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
How to watch Dwars door Vlaanderen 2025: Everything you need to live stream the cobbled Belgian Classic
All the information on broadcasters and live streams for Dwars door Vlaanderen on 2 April, as Wout van Aert, Mads Pedersen, Marianne Vos and Lotte Kopecky take on the cobbles.
By Tom Davidson Last updated
-
Extra wildcard team approved for Tour de France, Giro d'Italia and Vuelta a España
Number of teams to increase from 22 to 23 at men's Grand Tours
By Tom Davidson Published
-
Jonas Vingegaard out of Volta a Catalunya after Paris-Nice crash
Visma-Lease a Bike say two-time Tour de France winner needs more time to recover from wrist injury sustained in France last week
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
'We've all got a little bit extra in us this year' - Ineos Grenadiers recapture 'fighting spirit' with aggressive Paris-Nice display
British team continue to put tumultuous 2024 behind them with momentum and a new found mentality
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Matteo Jorgenson aiming to 'set the bar higher' and target a Grand Tour after securing second Paris-Nice title
American explained that targeting a win in one of the sport's biggest three-week races was now the logical next step in his career
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Matteo Jorgenson rules out Tour de France leadership after Jonas Vingegaard's withdrawal from Paris-Nice
The American is on the cusp of a second consecutive victory at the Race to the Sun
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Could a TotalEnergies deal be the end of Ineos Grenadiers as we know them?
Reports suggested this week that Ineos could be close to signing a deal with the French petrochemical firm
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Why is Jonas Vingegaard wearing a special helmet at Paris-Nice?
The two-time Tour de France winner’s new helmet is part of a sponsorship deal that will see him wear the lid throughout the year
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
'When he starts his Tour preparation, we’ll then see Jonas 2.0' - Jonas Vingegaard heads to Paris-Nice almost at full strength, coach says
Tim Heemskerk says the Danish star is not interested in outside noise as he attempts second stage race win of the year
By Tom Thewlis Published