dpa
Morzine, France
A debate on Caleb Ewan’s exit from the Tour de France escalated on Saturday when the Australian rider’s agent hit out at the team boss for criticising Ewan’s attitude.
The sprinter Ewan had abandoned the Tour on Friday. He had entered the race aiming for a stage win and finished second and third early on before struggling over the past days.
Stephane Heulet, managing director of Ewan’s Lotto-Dstny team, had questioned Ewan’s attitude and commitment in several interviews after he gave up.
"A rider has duties and not only rights. We are entitled to ask for another commitment from him,” he told Belgian broadcasters Sporza.
"This Tour de France is a reflection of what he showed this season and last year.”
Ewan’s agent, Jason Bakker, reacted furiously, telling Cycling Weekly in a report published on Saturday: "To throw what he said out there publicly and humiliate a rider who has given so much to Lotto over a period of time of four to five years is quite disgusting to be frank.
I’ve spoken with Caleb twice and he’s pretty devastated. It’s extremely disappointing.
"He [Heulot] talked about Caleb’s mindset. To question someone’s mental health publicly in such a way is a very dangerous thing to do and he owes Caleb an apology.”