Race officials at Sunday's Tour of Flanders have warned they will adopt a zero tolerance approach to riders using sidewalks and bike paths to sidestep sections of cobblestones, threatening to disqualify anyone who breaks the rule – no matter their stature or palmares.
Speaking to Belgian daily newspaper, Het Laatste Nieuws, Didier Simon, the chief UCI commissaire, said if he sees a rider on a sidewalk “with the intention of gaining even one metre of advantage”, then that rider “will be unceremoniously removed from the race – no discussion”. Meanwhile, Wim Van Herreweghe, Tour of Flanders race director, told Cyclingnews on Thursday that he will call for the UCI commissaires to take “more stringent measures”.
Van Herreweghe and the rest of the race organisation team will sit down with UCI officials and with team directeur sportifs on the eve of the race to confirm and clarify the approach to dealing with an issue that has become increasingly contentious.
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The UCI rules state that for major races, “use of sidewalks/pavements, paths or cycle paths that do not form part of the course” will be punishable with a fine of “200 CHF and/or elimination”. That rule was introduced in 2014 but it caused a storm at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad last month as directeur sportif were explicitly warned that there would be a clampdown, yet the lead group of six used a sidewalk while the chasing peloton was prevented from doing so.
The riders in question were fined, as were 15 riders on the opening stage of the Three Days of De Panne on Tuesday, though there is rising discontent over the inconsistency of the application of the rules – with the main peloton at De Panne going unpunished – not to mention a suspicion that organisers and officials are scared to impose the gravest sanction of elimination from the race.
Simon, however, claimed he would have no problem disqualifying anyone, whether it’s a big name or a small one, or whether it would alter the outcome of the race or not.
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