Europcar boss accuses Michael Albasini of racism

Europcar manager Jean-René Bernaudeau has accused Orica-GreenEdge’s Michael Albasini of racially abusing his team’s rider Kévin Réza during yesterday’s Stage 16 of the Tour de France.

Both riders were in a 21-man breakaway group on the stage, with Albasini said to have called Réza a “dirty negro,” reports the Sud Ouest newspaper.

Following the stage, Bernaudeau headed to the Orica-GreenEdge team bus to speak to his counterpart at the Australian team.

“I don’t tolerate racism,” said Bernaudeau. “After doping, it’s the other scourge of this sport. I found Kévin very upset after the race. This is unacceptable, inadmissible.”

Later he revealed that he had spoken to Albasini on the telephone, with the Swiss rider denying he had made racist comments.

“I told him what I thought of his attitude,” added Bernaudeau. “He told me it wasn’t true. But I trust Kévin and he was upset. I told Albasini to go and see Kévin at the start [of today’s stage] in Saint-Gaudens. I won’t add anything else, but above all I don’t want to drop an issue such as this.”

Aged 26, Réza made his Tour de France debut last year and finished seventh on the final day’s stage on the Champs-Elysées.

Born in Paris to parents from Guadeloupe, Réza said in an interview with Adelaide Now at the Tour Down Under in January that he had never encountered racism from fellow riders.