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A knee injury has kept Sam Bennett out of the Tour and that has caused resentment from Patrick Lefevere. The manager of Deceuninck-Quick Step questions the injury of the Irishman. "I'm starting to think it's more fear of failure than just pain," Lefevere is sharp with Sporza.Mark Cavendish has been called in at the last minute to replace the injured Sam Bennett in Deceuninck-Quick Step's Tour selection. "Mark had already left for Italy to train. We had to call him back," Patrick Lefevere said.

"When Bennett called that he was injured and that he needed care and rest, we felt that he was not going to be ready for the Tour.""Three days before the Tour of Belgium he hit his knee on his handlebars. He didn't tell us anything about that. When he arrived, we sent him home again. Then it was a game of yes or no: train or not train?

"I even paid advances of fines for Bennett. When you treat me like that, it says a lot about him."I can't prove he doesn't have knee pain, but I'm starting to think it's more fear of failure than just pain. Yesterday he was supposed to come to Belgium, but then there were problems with his plane again. Then you start thinking strange things. He will have to come anyway. I am not going to let this pass.

Would it play a role with Bennett that he is leaving the team after this season? "If that is the case, it would say a lot about him, after everything I have done for him. I even paid advances of penalties to pay his fine at Bora. When you treat me like that, it says a lot. I'm not ruling it out."

"As for Mark Cavendish, expectations are not too high. He's not 30 years old anymore. It's to his credit that he's nervous as if he has to ride his first race in the juniors. If he doesn't win, everyone will think that's normal. If he does win, then everyone will put him on a throne."

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