Movistar rider José Joaquín Rojas has posted a video on Twitter showing Volta a Catalunya race leader Tejay van Garderen (BMC Racing) removing his helmet during today’s fourth stage.
In the short clip, Van Garderen can be seen briefly taking off his helmet, before removing a hat underneath. This prompted Rojas to ask: “@tejay_van @UCI_cycling taking off your helmet during a race is not allowed!! Rules are made for everyone!!!!!”
Rojas also went on tweet a link to the UCI rule concerning wearing of helmets whereby according to UCI rule 12.1.040/3.3, a “Rider taking off the mandatory helmet during the race” should receive a fine of 100 Swiss Francs and be disqualified from the race.
Today’s incident follows on from the penalisation of Rojas and his Movistar team after the second-stage team time-trial when the Spanish rider was spotted giving a number of team-mates a push. BMC had initially finished 2″ down on Movistar but after the penalty was handed out, they were declared winners of the 41-kilometre test.
Van Garderen had been one of a number of BMC riders to flag Rojas’ pushes when he tweeted afterwards: “Pushing riders in a TTT is not allowed. C’mon Movistar!!!!”. He then posted a short clip from Movistar’s ride saying “Not Allowed”.
Today’s 134-kilometre stage from La Seu d’Urgell to Igualada was won by Nacer Bouhanni (Cofidis, Solutions Crédits) in a sprint finish ahead of Davide Cimolai (FDJ) and Daryl Impey (ORICA-Scott). Van Garderen maintained his overall lead of 41″ ahead of team-mate Samuel Sánchez.
@tejay_van @UCI_cycling taking off your helmet during a race is not allowed!! Rules are made for everyone!!!!! pic.twitter.com/JQp3iki0DR
— jose joaquin rojas (@jjrojillas) March 23, 2017
Good on him. bmc where stupid to complain if it was just the footage going about
http://www.velonews.com/2017/03/news/movistar-just-hacked-ttts-uci-needs-patch_433280
Sour grapes?
TJ was quite critical of Rojas and his pushes yesterday!
This is going to turn into MTV Reality show drama
What a pathetic sore loser.
I hope you are referring to Tejay and BMC’s initial complaint
Nope. That was quite ok.
Rules are rules
If you understand cycling and can’t see the difference between cheating to win a TTT and removing a helmet for a few hundred meters because the temperature has risen then Yes, let’s enforce every rule to the letter. I’d be cool with that.
And let’s have a full-time panel of stewards to enforce the rules consistently over every race.
If BMC won the TTT they would not of complained.
Of course they would. A time penalty matters just as much if you lose or win by 2 seconds especially if your main rival, Valverde, is in that team.
I can see the difference between cheating to win a time trial and removing a helmet for a few hundred meters……..but I can also see the difference between cheating to win a TTT and a subtle touch to let a teammate know you are there……at least that is what appeared to happen in the one video I saw. But regardless as much as I think these are both petty…..if one rule was enforced the other has to be as well
I understand but having watched the whole stage live they pushed multiple times and didn’t drop any riders as a result. The media haven’t really reported this well at all. But as I’ve said, I’d be happy if every single rule was enforced to the letter. BMC shouldn’t have needed to lodge a complaint. It should have been the commissionaire who lodged an enquiry. There is supposed to be a commissionaire with every team on the road in a TTT.
Ian rules must be enforced no one is over the law, and as we say in Mexico you get what you give
It was more than ‘just a push’
http://www.velonews.com/2017/03/news/movistar-just-hacked-ttts-uci-needs-patch_433280
I agree Sergio Romero Gomez. Maybe the sport needs all the rules full time. No grey areas.
These mild rule breaches are making the sport much more interesting at the moment.. Other than a few, where’s all the characters in the sport nowadays? But fair play to Rojas, I don’t blame him at all.
BMC were the initial complainant and this is clearly just Rojas/Movistar sour grapes that Van Garderen/BMC were awarded TTT win. Even the comments were similar. Rules and penalties should reflect the effect of the infringement (and then some) – this helmet removal had no disadvantage to other riders, only for the comfort of the rider.
Turn about is fair play. I saw it as well in the broadcast, had never seen that before. Good call out Rojas!
I think that everyone should hit reset I know rules are rules but don’t let rules get in the way of the spectacle that is a fantastic sport if it’s not dangerous rule breaking be a little flexible
…love to see cycling mimics football dramas, but adherence is etiquette
Haha bed wetters
Helmets have violated the purity of the sport.
LOL! Oh, you’re serious. Good one – I hate irony too 🙂
Eddy Merckx and the lads of his generation must be laughing there arse off at this
I hope they throw the book at him, rules are rules, I’m sick of seeing them enforced in the favour of race favourite. You break ’em, you pay the price
petty shit!!
Rojas goes bang Shannon Gration Trent Xavier Timmers
UCI get your bitches in line