In the Sporza TV show Extra Time Koers, Giant-Alpecin manager Patrick Lefevere received critcism from Etixx-QuickStep manager Patrick Lefevere. The latter called his colleague "an ass-licker", claiming that he forced Marcel Kittel to ride the Tours of Qatar and Oman to please organizers ASO even though the German was suffering from a virus. Yesterday Spekenbrink responded to the accusations.

"He calls me an ass-licker?" Spekenbrink askec Algemeen Dagblad. "That's how it is. I can not do nothing about it. For years, I have not spoken much with Lefevere. I regard it as a compliment that he wants to talk about us."

"I don't understand the context of his comments," he added. "If Lefevere thinks that our motive was to please ASO, we had also should lined Kittel up for the Tour de France. Don't you think so?"