Sleuthing, undercover photography and an incriminating banana: Leader of ultra-cycling race disqualified over outside help
An investigation from the Trans Balkan Race organisers unveiled the alleged cheating
A rider was disqualified from the Trans Balkan Race, an ultra-cycling event, this week after receiving “unauthorised external assistance,” race organisers said.
Designed to be entirely unsupported, the 1,397 kilometre off-road mountain bike race moves through isolated mountain ranges and along rugged terrain from Slovenia to Montenegro. With only 24 resupply stops across the route, part of the race’s challenge is to remain self-sufficient.
Until yesterday, Polish rider Radosław Gołębiewski was leading, having crossed into Montenegro a tantalising 78.97 kilometres to the finish. However, that is where his race ended.
"The rider was disqualified for receiving unauthorized external assistance, which directly violates Rule #2 regarding total self-sufficiency,” the race organisers said in a statement on Instagram. “This happened multiple times, and photographic proof was collected yesterday in Nikšić, 74 km from the finish line."
Having received an initial tip off from an “unofficial” source, the organisers sought to confirm the allegations, though they say that they were unable to meet Gołębiewski at his rest and resupply locations.
"Not wanting to act on allegations alone, the Race Director and crew waited for Radosław outside Nikšić and followed him," the post explained. "Radosław turned off route toward a parking area to meet a person in a van with Polish license plates. The same vehicle had also been reported around the CP1 and CP2 areas. The person in the van proceeded to provide Radosław with a full resupply. Photographic evidence was collected before Race Direction left the scene."
In his own Instagram reply, Gołębiewski accepted the disqualification, explaining that he took the bottle of Coca-Cola and banana from his partner "without thinking about the consequences."
"I am not denying the organizers' decision to disqualify," he continued in the post. "According to regulations, drinking beverages from outside was prohibited. I take full responsibility for this and apologise to everyone whom I disappointed with my reckless decision."
Despite the evidence of his cheating, Gołębiewski - or ‘Radzilla’, as he is known by his fans - is an impressive ultra endurance athlete, having finished third in this year’s Atlas Mountain Race. In the post, he stressed that he had not received any other "unauthorised technical, logistical or nutritional assistance" and even had a broken spoke in the rear wheel, which he cited as supporting evidence for the claim.
Clearly capable of competing in an unsupported race and adhering to the rules, race organisers took a harsher than usual punishment to prove the severity of the breach. Where in other races, such a break may result in a time penalty for the rider, Gołębiewski was disqualified entirely.
"The Trans Balkan Race is an unsupported race," the organiser's post continued. "Equal opportunity and fair play are core values of our event. An external support compromises the integrity of the race and the efforts of all other participants."
