The video below is from today’s stage of the Tirreno-Adriatico. The break makes it through a train crossing and the peloton doesn’t. But, the UCI has their own ideas. They stopped the break and made them give up the time that was gained by the peloton stopping. Guess they didn’t really know their own rules. Specifically this one-
UCI rule 2.3.035
3. If one or more leading riders make it over the crossing before the gates shut and the remainder of the riders are held up, no action shall be taken and the closed level crossing shall be considered a race incident;
Coming at it as a wrestling official, one of the very worst things you can do is to be arbitrary or have no consistency in the way you apply rules.
It doesn’t matter what the rule is, or if it is a “proper” rule, just enforce it the same way EVERY time.
Changing the rule to the way you want to enforce it would be outside the ability of the UCI.
I didn’t see the race but if that was a clear breakaway group (which is looked like in the video clip), I would agree that the commissaires were totally wrong in making them stop and regroup.
What a clown shoes officiating operation. Who’s the official that made that call and will they still be on the job tomorrow?
Must not have been a “favored” rider in the break
The same people who did the phony Tour de France, and were so wrong, are now doing Tirreno-Adriactico. They are rigged just like before. Sad or sick guys!
Bike racing seems to be evolving as a parallel to American politics. Situational ethics, no integrity. I’m sure bunches of people are going to call them on something so blatant however.
I guess the riders didn’t know the rule either? Dumb no matter what. Hard to say whether it would have made any difference in the stage results, unlike that cock-up at the Giro on the Passo Stelvio when the stupid red flags were waved and the race half-assedly (is that a word?) neutralized…except Quintana and Co. got away. The organizers certainly had plenty of time to consult the rule book while they waited for the train (they take seemingly forever in Italy, on a bike I look both ways and go under the gates quite often) but instead they send “red flags” up to stop the break?
Barb, your comment shows a lack of intelligence. You think American politics are the sole source of this kind of lunacy? Do you have access to youtube? Have you watched how other governments operate, western governments for reference? How about eastern socialist style governments? Have you seen how Putin has gained control of Russia? For the record I’m not a Trump fan, I hated them both. I’m an American and I’m extremely proud of my country and the time I spent in the Corps serving it. We will survive this dick now get the fuck out if you are on my soil.
I don’t know exactly how long the main field was stopped or what constitutes a “prolonged closure,” but it seems like the race officials could be within the UCI rules to stop the break for the amount of time that the main field was stopped …
UCI rule 2.3.035
5. Any other situation (prolonged closure of the barrier, etc.) shall be resolved by the commissaires.
Paul – I think it was around 3 minutes. That doesn’t seem prolonged a railroad crossing to me. The complete rule is –
UCI rule 2.3.035 states additional applications of the level crossing rule:
1. One or more riders who have broken away from the field are held up at a level crossing but the gates open before the field catches up. No action shall be taken and the closed level crossing shall be considered a mere race incident;
2. One or more riders with more than 30 seconds’ lead on the field are held up at a level crossing and the rest of the field catches up while the gates are still closed. In this case the race shall be neutralised and restarted with the same gaps, once the official vehicles preceding the race have passed; If the lead is less than 30 seconds, the closed level crossing shall be considered a mere race incident;
3. If one or more leading riders make it over the crossing before the gates shut and the remainder of the riders are held up, no action shall be taken and the closed level crossing shall be considered a race incident;
4. If a group of riders is split into two groups following the closure of a level crossing, the first group will be slowed down or stopped in order to allow the delayed riders to return to the first group;
5. Any other situation (prolonged closure of the barrier, etc.) shall be resolved by the commissaires.
I would think that #3 is the correct rule to apply here. I think nearly all officials would agree with me.
i didn’t see it , i was sleeping before tv, and i woke up at the same moment gaviria crossed the line.
The UCI commissaires are a collective bunch of retards. They don’t even follow their own rules. The train crossing rule has been on the books (everywhere) for many decades. One of the huge reasons why riders should actually risk even joining a break… IS this rule. The rule that states you’re fucked if your group gets caught behind a train.
There is no fair way to implement what the officials did with the break. That’s insanity.
It’s a no-brainer. Correct.
The riders will always look to the officials to render a decision that benefits THEM. Don’t count on the riders to volunteer the correct applications of the rules. Of course most members of the peloton will want the break stopped here.
I was with the Marina Corps too.
http://www.outtraveler.com/sites/outtraveler.com/files/2016/01/28/DSC_0114-X3-LEAD.jpg
Spent a lot of time working with the Seals.
http://static.panoramio.com/photos/large/88042018.jpg
Thankfully, nothing like the Marines – those guys are so gay….
http://galleries.gaydemon.com/a/3/aa7c18fe234e90af945ae5affc6c4123.jpg
Race organizers wanted a star sprinter to win–or at least have a duel take place between them. And they got what they wanted. Why doesn’t Cookson fix the officiating?
The riders need to know the rules as well. These are professionals, supposedly. Could you imagine if a basketball player didn’t know they could not travel with the ball. I assume most of these guys are not the sharpest tools in the shed. Had they known the rule, they could have kept up their pace and ridden to the end of the race at which time they would have had a winning argument for their actions.
But doesn’t #5 allow for arbitrary application of any ruling? Since #3 doesn’t state a defined time and #5 states “prolonged closure of the barrier” without defining it, the commissaires are free to define “prolonged” at their discretion. That was a horrible bit of officiating, but they will use #5 in defense of anything that happened today.
Canadian Cycling is the same … lame-ass, bourgeoisie, mofo’s deciding which “rich bitch” they want to win the race… So they can have all the fun with their post race BS PR! All yah can do, is play their Phucek-up game, and challenge their BS in a REAL legal court of law . It’s “about time” some one did. Now I have the disposable income I think it is time.!
I’m sure they’d even try and make an argument for #4, being that the peloton is indeed “split into two groups” the moment a breakaway is formed.
Basically, the commisaires always win (as fucked up as that sounds).
This rule has been around since the 1970’s (at least). The reason it remains there is the are no good alternatives.
Maybe because the riders knew the rule that says if you disobey the instructions of an official, which in this case was to stop, they could be disqualified