2013-06-08 London Nocturne

love all (well most) of these ideas, but the kids race is actually a really good idea.
.
the RLJ thing could really work, with random things crossing at speed to negotiate

anyone else picturing a person in a sumo blow up suit??

i know i was referring to the proximity of the rider in front of her as ramaye's comment indicated that they were to the side (because i think he thought the rider in front was actually hannah), but you can see one rider just ahead of her.

i wasn't disputing the placing of the race at all.

I am aware which one is Hannah, its the one letting go of the bars, I see what you mean about her team mate being ahead but this is several bike lengths.

It all looks like a sponsors desired outcome to me.

that, if made known could ruin the event i doubt nocturne organisers would jeprodise their reputation?

Someone should ask the commissaires why they hadn't removed lapped riders before the finish.

They were being lapped on the line.

Lol. I bet there are still people who think that 6 day racing isn't rigged.

And I'm assuming the DQ was in fact a 'relegation' to 2nd place because there were only two riders contesting the sprint? Where were 3rd and 4th?
Surely you either have the conviction to fully DQ a rider for an infringement (to last place) or not at all? Where does it say in the rules that you may place riders wherever you fancy?

Sounds a bit arbitrary to me, but then I ain't a comm.

Laura Trott has just tweeted this

@LauraTrott31: Campaign to celebrate some of the unsung heroes of cycling – why not nominate yours? http://t.co/IXQ3pgvcwf #cyclingheroes

So tempted to respond:

Hannah Barnes

Lol. I bet there are still people who think that 6 day racing isn't rigged.

Trott winning was good for the organisers (although it would have been better if someone had told Barnes what was expected of her). Why did Dowsett then lose in the men's race in a three way photo finish?

Trott is a bigger name to the general public because of the olympics?

Trott winning was good for the organisers (although it would have been better if someone had told Barnes what was expected of her). Why did Dowsett then lose in the men's race in a three way photo finish?

Because he won last year just after he signed for SKY?

SFAIK Movistar don't have any connections with FP

puts tin hat on and hides in coal bunker

Trott is a bigger name to the general public because of the olympics?

He's just scored a reasonable half ton against Sri Lanka too

It's not like the CEO of Wiggle was hanging in the pit lane all day reminding everyone how much he's invested in womens cycling and quite how much advertising and promo £££ he is in charge of.

Oh

smiles tell the story?!

switching back to the Cyclo Cross, just seen in the emailer, this write-up,

.. featuring more smiles, :-)

I've just read on twitter that Hannah Barnes has been offered a lifetime supply of Haribo as way of recompense.

i heard it was just a guarantee that she'd definitely get a pack everytime she ordered rather than just sporadically*

*so long as she maintained platinum discount status.

looks like they didn't have a problem with her doing it 2 years ago either...

http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/latest/528704/double-bike-theft-overshadows-motorpoint-women-s-nocturne-triumph.html

edit: i guess there were no other riders nearby though.

Laura Trott wasn't first over the line after all; Hannah Barnes beat her but was demoted for 'celebrating'

well wiggle above somewhere^^^ doesnt really believe that..

Four-time race winner Hannah Barnes (MG-MaxiFuel) opened up her sprint first, but Trott just managed to throw her wheel in front as they hit the line.

orly?

Nice to see race commissaires applying all rules equally and fairly.
What's that?

Some people are now even picking up on the fact that Trott was wearing overshoes, stating she should be banned under Regulation 1.3.033

Oh.

Hmmm, looks like we need expert opinion on this.

Paging David Icke, paging David Icke, we have a live conspiracy over here.

Everyone else, foil hats at the ready and make your way to RPMs secret bunker.

Tin foil hat time

If you reply to a Wiggle Honda tweet that links to a statement on their blog that claims they didn't know about the relegation till video highlights released on Thursday pointing out you saw their team managers watching video in the commentary box after race finished they will delete the tweet and the statement.

Link to statement now deleted

My reply to Wiggle's tweet now deleted

Does anyone know the name/s of the chief commies who were on duty for the race?

Wyndy Millar have chimed in

Here are the facts, I’ll keep it simple:

Hannah was in a breakaway group with a number of the Wiggle/Honda team, the race came down to a sprint to the line from that group. Hannah took her hands of the bars to celebrate her win, (the very essence of our sport and just what the huge crowd on the night wanted to see). We then wait with bated breath to hear the result, after a number of minutes we hear that Trott takes the win. We accept the result and the team and Hannah come to terms with the fact that she did a ‘Tom Boonen’ and was pipped to the line by Laura Trott.

The judgement call as it transpires was made without reference to the photo finish, Hannah did NOT face disciplinary action on the night, NO relegation was made. NO appeal was made by MG Maxifuel on the night as there was nothing to appeal against; As far as Wiggle/Honda, MG Maxifuel & Hannah were concerned, Laura had won fair & square.

Then there are rumours from the crowd that Hannah had won, so easy to dispel, but they keep coming at us. We don’t want to be seen as bad losers, but more and more people are compelling us to ask to see the elusive photo finish. So we go through all the official channels and there is an alarmingly large amount of wooliness about the whereabouts or even the existence of a photo finish for the women’s race. Finally on Tuesday 11th June, 4 days after the race a BC commissar from the IG Nocturne informs Hannah and the MG Maxifuel team manager that upon our requested examination of the photo finish Hannah had clearly crossed the line first.

It is at this point we can only assume that the fatal error of judgement was made. Somebody at BC decided to make a square peg fit a round hole and stated that due to riders about to be lapped on the circuit they managed to find a BC technicality to make the ill-fated result stand, in short a way of making the second place rider remain the winner. It simply doesn't matter which way you turn it, this ill-fated effort to save face looks bad, very bad indeed. You only need to look as far as Facebook or Twitter to see that it has horribly backfired. Sprint relegations don’t take 4 days to reach!

So who does this affect? Well, the race organiser of such a fantastic event for starters, the public at large don’t know the technicalities of who calls the shots, they naturally blame the commentator or the race organisation. The public can certainly not be expected to understand relegation for the celebration that lies at the very heart of our sport. It affects the riders and sponsors, not least because outrageous conspiracy theories are inevitably encouraged. Lastly it affects and tarnishes the image of the great organisation that is British Cycling. I too have been guilty of mockery in this isolated poor decision. I mean really, where does Brad stand, and every other Tour de France winner for that matter when they celebrate amongst the peloton on the Champs Elysees, should they all be relegated to 2nd? I certainly don’t want to see Trott relegated for her illegal overshoes that have been brought to light any more than Hannah’s comical belated relegation for celebrating.

Can you see what has happened here? Yes, it is comedy, laughable, but there is an underlying seriousness that leaves a bad taste in everybody’s mouth – someone made an honest mistake but upon that realisation days later, the unknown person in question has not yet had the courage or dignity to admit it, it takes the bigger man to do that, but there is still time. .

Come on BC, I am your biggest fan, but it this instance BUCK UP. . And please do it before the C4 coverage on Sunday – time will need to be booked in the edit suite!

Does anyone know the name/s of the chief commies who were on duty for the race?

Seriously, was there a programme or anything? They usually list the staff in the back.

I wanna know so I can ask the individual face to face.

At best this is incompetence, at worst it's corruption. Neither is desirable or should be repeated. IMO Face Parsnipchips need to investigate and publish the truth/reasons behind this scenario.

I hope MGmaxifuel keep digging.

Not sure if this helps, race director was Tony Cosstick, race controller was Simon Morris. The programme doesn't list anyone as a commis or from British Cycling.

Better publicity if Trott wins then?

Celebrating is quite a lame excuse to ensure your preferred racer wins. Poor show. Obviously someone's Wiggle gold membership was under threat.

Pro cycling "rules" are as boring as watching cricket.