#team sunweb

Belgian newspaper Het Nieuwsblad has now published what they claim are a series of strict rules that riders at Team DSM must adhere to. 

Squad members are given homework to do, which includes memorising the details of race profiles as well as fine-tuning tactics. This practice is not enforced at the Tour de France, however, where emphasis is placed on maximum rest and recovery. 

The newspaper claims this played a part in the departure of Matthews, and he is not the only rider who left due to the strict rules riders must follow. Matthews is said to have not completed his ‘homework’ before the opening weekend of Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne and was subsequently not selected for the Belgian races. He was later also not selected for the Tour de France, subsequently announcing he was to leave the team at the end of the season. 

Another protocol is that riders who want to test out different, non-standard team-issue race tubes during a recon of specific races such as Strade Bianche are not permitted to. The same goes for a rider wanting to organise his own altitude camps. 

Glasses must also be kept in their case when not being worn, and tweets disparaging dangerous courses are frowned upon, as is the use of ketones. 

Even more bizarrely, riders are said to not be allowed to ask for more than half an hour with the masseur to deal with physical ailments.