Gruppama-FDJ manager Marc Madiot flatly denied Jumbo-Visma's Richard Plagge's claim that French team riders were drinking "large bottles of beer" on the second rest day of the Tour de France.

Pragge made this accusation in an interview with LÉquipe magazine, where he again defended his team from any wrongdoing, claiming that race leader Jonas Vingegaard "did not even like to drink paracetamol" and "refused to use ketones."

The Dutch manager then criticized an unnamed French team that was seen drinking "big beer" in their hotel on rest days to highlight their differences from other teams in the Tour de France.

Groupama-FDJ was the only other French team to stay in the same hotel on the second rest day of the Tour de France in the Alps.

"You look around to see what the other riders are doing. For example, we were with the French team at the hotel on our rest day," Plug told L'Équipe. I saw the players drinking large beers."

"Alcohol is poison, and if you drink it when you are already tired, it makes you even more fatigued."

"At the start of the last and most important week of the Tour, you have to be careful with food and drink. No one [on our team] drinks alcohol. Drinking alcohol destroys your body, and even if you are not an athlete, you should not drink alcohol. We can open our doors and answer all questions, but we also need to look at the other side. Not only is it to our advantage, but it can also be to the disadvantage of the other (team).

After Jonas Vingegaard seems to have pushed Jonas Vingegaard to new heights in an important time trial stage, Plug is trying to defend Jumbo Visma's dominance in the Tour de France.

"We will keep our doors open, be transparent, and do the best we can. And we are willing to answer any questions. So ask me a question and I'll answer it," he told Cycling News on Thursday.

"Apparently, winning in cycling is never right for the French. I would say, 'Come over here and we can talk about anything.' Like now, I'll answer any questions you have."

Authentically, Madio reacted angrily to the claim about French riders drinking beer, describing the accusation directly as "shabby."

"How dare you say that?" raged Madio.

"They [the players] were not at our dinner table. The rest of the team drank beer. But the players drank Perrier water."

"They were drinking water.

While agreeing that they had a group get-together on the rest day to boost team spirit, Madio continued: "What is the point of this comment? The next day in the TT I told the riders to give it their all and all eight riders finished in the top 80. The day after that, four riders made the break."

"People need to stop saying whatever they want--it's shabby, shabby!"

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Warmly accepting his point, Madio added: "I'm not a good person, I'm not a good person. 'Who does he think he is? Frankly, it is an extraordinary attack on his part."

Madiot said he had no intention of discussing the accusations with Plug.

"I don't care what he says. I'm not going to demean myself enough to go see him," he said.

"And I think he's personally angry because he disagrees with me at the AIGCP [International Association of Groups of Cycling Professionals]. He's angry. This is shabby, shabby, shabby ......."