In disqualifying Lorena Wiebes, the Giro's commissaires, for once, applied the UCI’s rule exactly as written
No one was happy with a big-name rider being kicked off a race for the sake of 20 grams, but it was the only outcome
In a rare instance of the Giro d’Italia Women’s race commissaires applying the UCI’s rule exactly as written, they disqualified Lorena Wiebes for riding an illegal bike by 20 grams. This decision was met with widespread anger from Wiebes, her team, rivals, and spectators alike. The commissaires had no hesitation in enforcing the rule, even though it’s likely they would have preferred a different outcome.
The UCI’s rule stipulates that the sanction for an underweight bike is expulsion from the race, period. While the 20-gram discrepancy may seem insignificant – likened to the air in a tyre or the difficulty of creating a flat stage with only 240 meters of climbing – the commissaires strictly adhered to the rule. This marks a change from previous instances where they might have overlooked minor infractions, especially when the rider in question was a well-known name like Jan-Willem van Schip.
The issue at hand is not about the amount of weight saved, but the disproportionate nature of the punishment. For a first-time offense of up to 200 grams, a simple relegation might suffice. However, for a margin over 200 grams, a more severe sanction, including a time penalty, could be warranted. Ultimately, the rule seems ill-suited to the sport, and a straightforward adjustment could address the concern of disproportionate penalties.
Written by urgent.news from Cycling Weekly's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
