Nacer Bouhanni (FDJ.fr) takes another stage win at the Vuelta a España(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Nacer Bouhanni (FDJ.fr) on the podium(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
French national team coach Bernard Bourreau has expressed his frustration at FDJ.fr’s decision to pull Nacer Bouhanni from racing for the remainder of his time at the team.
After abandoning the Vuelta a España last week, Bouhanni was due to ride the Tour du Doubs and GP d’Isbergues as preparation for the world championships in Ponferrada, where he will be one of the leaders of the French team.
FDJ.fr manager Marc Madiot was irritated by a recent interview Bouhanni gave to L’Équipe Magazine, in which he expressed his dismay at missing out on selection for the Tour de France, however, and has decreed that the Frenchman will not race again for the team. Bouhanni has already signed a contract with Cofidis for 2015.
“It’s annoying, I could have done without it, but we’ll have to get by,” Bourreau told RMC Sport.
Bourreau revealed that Madiot had called him immediately after censuring Bouhanni for his interview. “He called me straight after his discussion with Bouhanni. He was quite furious,” Bourreau said.
“I let some time go by and I called him back with a clear head, but that didn’t change things. He has his arguments, and I don’t want to comment on the reasoning of others. Nacer is an important part of the French team and I have to manage.”
Bouhanni won two sprint stages of the Vuelta a España before withdrawing, and provided a further demonstration of his pre-Worlds condition by performing impressively on the uphill finishes at Arcos de la Frontera and Obregon.
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Originally, the Vuelta was to be Bouhanni's final race with FDJ but he later struck an agreement with the team to abandon early and use the Tour du Doubs and GP d'Isbergues as preparation for the world championships.
