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IG London Nocturne Rapha Elite Women's Criterium podium 2013 (picture Dan Rowley:REX)Controversy at IG London Nocturne as video reveals women's elite winner was second across line
Organisers of the IG London Nocturne have revealed that it was Hannah Barnes of MG Maxifuel, and not Wiggle Honda’s Laura Trott, who crossed the line first at the end of the Rapha Elite Women’s Criterium on Saturday, but the former was relegated to second place in somewhat controversial circumstances.
FACE Partnership said that after reviewing footage compiled for Channel 4’s highlights show, due to be aired at 7.35am on Sunday morning, “it is clear” that it was Barnes who was first across the line.
However, commissaires from British Cycling ruled that Barnes, who is in top form in crit racing at the moment with a commanding lead in the Johnson Health Tech Grand Prix Series, had contested the sprint dangerously and relegated her one place to second.
"On examining photofinish, race officials determined that the actual finishing order was reversed,” said FACE Partnership.
"However, given the leaders' proximity in the sprint to a slower group of riders ahead on the road [and an imminent need to brake], officials have given consideration to Technical Regulations 12.1 and 20.12.2 and allowed the provisional result to stand.
"No further disciplinary action has been deemed necessary or appropriate."
FACE Partnership says that photos and videos reveal that Barnes took her hands off the bars to celebrate just before crossing the line, while riding near to rides about to be lapped.
It added that it supported the commissaires’ decision and that both MG Maxifuel and Wiggle Honda had been informed.
No communication of the controversy was made to the crowd on the night.
After the news broke this morning, Barnes tweeted: "Has anyone ever been relegated for putting their arms up crossing the line celebrating the win or am I the first? #ignocturne"
The rules in question state:
12.1 - Depending on the nature of the offence, commissaires may at their discretion impose a range of penalties upon riders, managers, helpers or officials. Such penalties may range from a reprimand/warning, relegation, time or points penalty, disqualification or a fine.
20.12.2 - All competitors must observe the law of the land in relation to road travel, and exercise extreme care when contesting sprints or primes. All forms of traffic signals and direction indicators must be obeyed. Competitors who ride dangerously shall be liable to disqualification and may be subject to further disciplinary action under the Disciplinary Rules. Race officials must not attempt to regulate other traffic on the road.
Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.
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24 comments
British cycling have a rule somewhere, saying you can't cross the line with no hands on the handlebars when contesting for the spring
Plenty of armchair 'experts' on here - all commissaires are volunteers and only get paid expenses (mileage) so hardly doing it for the accolades. The rule book is quite clear on removing both hands from the bars, so anyone would know the rules would hardly be surprised. Yes, the lapped riders should have been pulled (great decision in hindsight) but difficult to judge on the night.
Did you read any of it?? She WAS NOT relegated on the night. BC put it down to a photo finish, It was not until BC double checked things FOUR days later, they saw Hannah had won...then brought out the rule book and relegated her...
Also, they paid NO attention to Trott's ILLEGAL overshoes....
Why didn't the blazers remove the lapped riders?
There should be no impeding riders in the run to the sprint - I've been hauled off myself at crits for being the lard at the back, getting in the way, so why not here.
Sounds like a BC clusterf*ck.
Sorry - this just STINKS as far as I'm concerned.
BC said Trott won a photo finish. What photo? Like hell she did - this is just a big cock up plain and simple and they got found out. I really feel for Hannah but at least thanks to all the controversy she'll probably get MORE publicity and exposure than had she simply been given the win she earned on the night.
I was at the event and there were numerous calls entering the later stages of the race for all lapped riders to drop out. The riders about to be lapped at the finish weren't being so for the first time on the night. Why are they not the one's being penalised for dangerous riding as opposed to Barnes. Should be fun during the Tour when most of the bunch take their hands of the handlebars having passed through a feed station to remove the contents from the musette to their pockets. Most of the field will be disqualified halfway through the first stage!
Having just read this http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/latest/538870/who-really-won-the-wom...
It seems there isn't even a photo finish photo to back up what BC were saying...
Disgraceful.
Its pretty obvious for ALL to see, they wanted/needed Wiggle to win for publicity reason's and now they have been caught out. They went to the rule book and pulled up and obscure ruling
Will commissaires be tested for drug use soon? Not the performance enhancing type, obviously.
Does anyone know the name of the commissaire on the night?
McQuaid, Mr P McQuaid
The real controversy is the showing at 7.30 on Sunday morning! No wonder so many people are oblivious to women's cycling...
In their defence, I think they're showing the men's race at the same time!
Jony
Should make a for a fantastic nats in Glasgow, my money is on Hannah, amazing form of late
I could understand reversing places if the rider in front has impeded the other one unfairly.
But if she was penalised for taking her hands off the bars (FFS) then why not disqualify her completely, or relegate her to the back of the bunch.
What's the logic of relegating her one place, other than to let the big name win ?
And sports officials wonder why they are widely regarded as old farts in blazers.
The relegation was just an excuse to make the provisional result stand.
I am calling BULL SH*T on this.
Look at British Cycling's report....
http://www.britishcycling.org.uk/road/article/roa20130609-road-Road--Tro...
They are just covering there own asses after it came to light that Barnes DID win the race.
Its not totally unusual to penalize a rider for taking their hands off the bars in a flat out sprint before crossing the line.
I can remember a race I competed in some years ago in surrey when the first across the line did so and was promptly disqualified. It was something all riders were made aware of and as far as I am aware the rules are unchanged. Even the male elite pro's run the risk albeit rarely is it implemented due to the greatly enhanced bike handling and the element of putting on a pro/showbiz finish
Oh how do those young fillies do it? Surely they will be too distracted by thoughts of cake baking, kittens and knitting to handle these velocipedes correctly.
Mind out girlies, we can almost see your bloomers....
It is good publicity for Trott to win, being the darling of the media. If the need to brake was so imminent, why wasn't she ALSO riding dangerously? Even if she kept her hands on the hoods, neither girl crashed and racing is racing, surely. Or shall we relegate Cancellara too?
Think this is a real shame for all the riders / teams involved as it clouds the win for Trott and undermines Barnes' awesome recent form... kinda of means I can't help but wonder whether the budget, size and clout of Wiggle Honda, and the weight of expectation that Trott would win played any way in the making of this decision... wonder what would have happened if the roles had been reversed?
Silver lining time - the amount of social medi adebate and focus on this shows that elite women's racing is becoming as important to fans as men's is, which is brilliant.
nic stevenson: good post. I was there on the night and actually thought Barnes had got it - but to be fair as I couldnt get near the finishing line I could only watch the finish on the big screen close by.
I was just past the finish line and I thought Barnes had it too - I said as much to my son. Sounds like commissaires covering their ... decisions.