Commotion at Visma | Lease a Bike before the start of the sixth stage of the Tour de France. Until just before the start, it had to be decided whether Jonas Vingegaard would start in the polka dot jersey. Vingegaard, number three in the mountains classification, initially refused to wear the jersey due to a sponsorship issue. As number three in the mountains classification, Vingegaard was given the polka dot jersey by the organization before the start. Leader in the secondary classification, Tadej Pogacar, is also already the leader in the general and points classifications, which means that the Slovenian from UAE Emirates-XRG wears the yellow jersey. Number two in the mountains classification, Tim Wellens prefers his Belgian champion's jersey. This means that Vingegaard will wear the polka dot jersey in the sixth stage.
But when they saw this jersey, Vingegaard and Visma noticed something striking. Due to an error by the race organizer, ASO, the BetCity logo was displayed on the jersey. Since July 1, sports sponsorship by gambling companies has been banned, which means that Vingegaard and the team would risk a fine if they raced with the logo on their jerseys. Several team managers then entered into discussions with UCI officials and ASO.
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Vingegaard gets to start in modified polka dot jersey
When signing the attendance list, Vingegaard appeared on the start podium still wearing his branded jersey, but at the start, the Danish leader was indeed wearing the polka dot jersey. It was a slightly modified version, with BetCity crossed out and no longer visible on the jersey.
Pogacar and Wellens are tied on points (5) in the mountain classification. Vingegaard has 2 points less (3). There are plenty of points up for grabs for the polka dots during the sixth stage, with five third-category climbs and one fourth-category climb, so there is a chance that there will be a new leader in the mountain classification.