The European cyclocross championships concluded, but the controversy surrounding the elite women’s race is far from over.
Marie Schreiber was first across the line on Saturday, outsprinting world champion Lucinda Brand, only to be relegated to second place.
However, Brand did not seem perturbed by the deviation, and her coach Sven Nys suggested the decision was wrong.
According to HLN.be, the nine Dutch commissioners were not consulted about the ruling, nor was Brand. The report states this goes against the usual practice. The president of the jury, Ernesto Maggioni, made the decision alone.
Another factor has emerged. Wiebes and Schreiber are teammates on the SD Worx Protime squad. Wiebes was disqualified for her bike being under the UCI weight limit of 6.8kg, a ruling her team strongly disputed. SD Worx indicated at the time it would sue the UCI over Wiebes’ disqualification.
Schreiber’s coach Sanne Cant hinted at legal action on Saturday. Schreiber’s Luxembourg federation, FSCL, has already lodged an appeal with the UEC, or European Cycling Union. No change to the results has been announced.
Absolute drama at the Women's European CX Championships! 🇳🇱🇱🇺 Marie Schreiber appeared to beat Lucinda Brand in a thrilling sprint after Ceylin Alvarado crashed in the final lap. But a jury review relegated Schreiber for deviating from her sprinting line, handing Brand the…
Whether the two incidents are related has not been proven. Schreiber was competing with the Luxembourg team on Saturday, rather than SD Worx Protime.
