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Demi Vollering’s rainbow jersey came with an unwelcome addition: a hefty CHF 1,000 ($ 1,200 USD / £911 GBP) fine, a 25-point deduction in the UCI rankings and a yellow card.
The post-race commissaires’ communiqué states that the Dutch rider had been penalised for “using a non-compliant position or point of support on the bicycle” during the women’s elite road race.
The ruling cited article 2.12.007.9 of the UCI regulations, which prohibits riding positions or points of support on the bicycle that breach the rules and pose a danger to the rider or other competitors.
In plain terms, the rule penalises riders for adopting prohibited positions that could compromise control of their bike. Well-known examples include “puppy paws“, where riders rest their forearms on the handlebars to reduce wind resistance, and the “super tuck“, where they sit on the top tube rather than the saddle. Both are banned in road races and yield immediate disqualifications. The communiqué did not specify which position Vollering used or when in the race the infraction occurred.
When Cycling Weekly asked a representative of the Dutch team to clarify, they were as confused as everyone else and promised to find out what exact position led to such a hefty fine.
Fortunately for Vollering, the race results remain unaffected, and while she received a point deduction, her UCI ranking will largely be unaffected also. Prior to the World Championships race, the Dutchwoman led the published standings by more than 3,300 points, so the 25-point sanction will only make a minor dent.
This is not the first time the Dutchwoman made headlines for a fine. At the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift in August, Vollering and her FDJ-Suez United teammates were fined for urinating in public. That fine, however, was significantly less expensive at 100 CHF per rider.
