'There was a bit of language' - Luke Plapp smooths over Narváez non-cooperation at Tour Down Under

Luke Plapp (Jayco AlUla) and Jhonatan Narváez (Ineos Grenadiers) exchanged some heated words and gestures on the final descent of stage 2 of the Tour Down Under, after the pair attacked on the final climb but failed to work together towards the finish, but Plapp was quick to smooth over the brief discord with his old team.

The Ecuadorian was seen urging Plapp to work with him, but the Jayco rider responded by sitting on, then attacking, then sitting on again, and gesturing towards his earpiece, suggesting the lack of cooperation was down to team orders. The pair were caught with just under 6km to go.

Read more: Tour Down Under Stage 2: Isaac del Toro stuns the sprinters with a last-minute solo victory

After the stage finish in Lobethal, the Australian went straight to the Ineos Grenadiers base to clear the air, joking with the riders and sports director Oli Cookson.

“There was a bit of language spoken on the descent there [about] why I wasn’t working, so I was just saying sorry,” Plapp explained at the finish.

“They’re really good mates and he’s a really nice guy so I just wanted to let him know I wasn’t trying to be a dick to him.”

Though Plapp was climbing well, and seems to have been given some freedom in this race as he supports Simon Yates on GC, the threat of Narváez effectively shut down any chances of personal success for him.

“Unfortunately Jonny, who was probably one of the fastest in this bunch, was there, and we can’t take any chances of giving him bonus seconds ahead of Willunga,” Plapp said.

“There were two people that we got told I can’t ride with, which is Corbin [Strong] and Jonny, so to see him there was really, really annoying. I guess it was like ‘what could have been’ if he wasn’t there, but he’s a class act. I think we can take positives from the climbing legs and really try to open that race up Saturday and Sunday when it’s a bit hotter as well.”

The edict of riders not to work with appeared to be a well thought out one, with Strong finishing second on the stage to pick up more bonus seconds and move up into second overall, whilst a clearly on-form Narváez has been talked up by his team and others as a real risk on the GC.

Read more: Ineos Grenadiers under ‘no real pressure’ at Tour Down Under, says DS

Jayco have now missed out on the win two days in a row, with Plapp denied on Wednesday and Caleb Ewan outdone in both sprints, but the 23-year-old was positive about the team’s chances for the rest of the week, even if his pre-race wish of winning “every single stage and the GC” won’t be fulfilled.

“I think in the end it was a really good day,” Plapp said. “I’m really pleased with my climbing legs. I think it’s really good signs towards Saturday and Sunday. As a team, I think we’re looking really strong, if Caleb’s getting over that and contesting the sprints, that obviously shows that for tomorrow he’s ready to go again and got yesterday out of the system. But to have me, Simon [Yates] and [Chris] Harper all on GC, with two sprint days ahead, we should go into Saturday and Sunday in good shape.”