This week's fixtures & results League II (winter 2009/2010)

In the 1988 Tour Robert Millar was away in a break with 2 other guys in the Pyrenees.

Near the end (last 3 km), Massimo Ghirotto was dropped, leaving Millar and Philipe Bouvatier to contest the stage win, with its attendant glory and rewards.

In the last 1km, a policeman directed Millar and Bouvatier the wrong way up the team car turn-off. By the time they realised their mistake, and turned round, Ghirotto went past and took the win.

It was a clear injustice, and certainly 'robbed' Millar or the other guy of a prestigious win, but if you look in the record books, you will see Ghirotto's name listed as the winner of the stage to Guzet-Neige.

Highlighted the important bit.

Anyway, these two situations are only similar in them being sports involving bikes as far as I can tell. I don't know the tour's (ICU?) rules, but if there was a rule that said "If a policeman points you the wrong way, you will be rewarded the time lost getting back on track", and then they weren't awarded the time, we'd be getting somewhere towards the same situation.