IAM sprinter criticises decision not to disqualify Groenewegen in Eurométropole finale (video)

IAM Cycling sprinter Oliver Naesen says he cannot believe that LottoNL-Jumbo‘s Dylan Groenewegen was not disqualified for angling him into the barriers in the fast finale of Sunday’s Tour de l’Eurométropole.

The Belgian rider was unable to pass the Dutch champion on the inside due to being pushed too close to the side of the road, having to bunny-hop an obstacle on the road and eventually finished second.

But Naesen was unhappy that the race jury didn’t penalise Groenewegen for deviating from his line in the sprint, which has seen plenty of fast men relegated in years gone by.

“What a ridiculous decision of the UCI jury,” said Naesen, quoted in Het Laatste Nieuws. “Has everyone seen the sprint yet? The pictures speak for themselves. Groenewegen drive me into the fences, that’s super clear? I think it’s just ridiculous that he wins.”

Naesen said he was “the rightful winner” of the race, claiming that Groenewegen should be downgraded in the results.

UCI rules state that ‘riders shall be strictly forbidden to deviate from the lane they selected when launching the sprint and, in doing so, endangering others.’

CyclingHub tweeted a side-by-side comparison video of the Groenewegen/Naesen sprint and the disqualification of Nacer Bouhanni at the Cyclassics Hamburg for narrowly veering into Caleb Ewan’s line.