The Dutch team Jumbo-Visma delivered an exceptional performance in the 78th edition of the Vuelta a España. Tonight, during the closing ceremony in Madrid, three riders from the team will step onto the podium.
The fantastic performance of the Dutch team has been widely praised, although some criticisms have also emerged in recent days. For instance, former cyclist and team manager Jerôme Pineau made allegations of possible mechanical doping against the team.
After the 20th stage of the Vuelta a España, the top three athletes from Jumbo-Visma, Sepp Kuss, Jonas Vingegaard, and Primoz Roglic, responded to the accusations to the Belgian newspaper Het Laatste Nieuws. “For me, doping and cheating are simply out of the question,” says the upcoming winner of the Vuelta, Sepp Kuss. “It’s not part of the sport,” adds the American.
Sepp Kuss:
“Losing is part of it because, obviously, you want to win. But if you do something that’s forbidden, I think you’re afraid to lose. And that’s one of the most important aspects of sports: accepting that sometimes you’re not good enough.”
Jonas Vingegaard:
“Skepticism is understandable, but what people also need to understand is that we are sacrificing a lot for this. We delve deep into the details to perfect ourselves and make this happen.”
“Believe me, it really makes a big difference. In that sense, there’s currently no better place to be than with Jumbo-Visma. Everything the team does is very professional.”
Primoz Roglic:
“On the other hand, it’s not bad to continue having that critical look and skepticism, as long as we can all talk about it. I can state with one hundred percent certainty that my two colleagues here present are not doing anything that’s not allowed. And that applies to me as well.”
