The Press Office for the Absa Cape Epic have released the following details from today’s stage, where the chasing group of Team Bulls 1 and 2 and Merida-Multivan missed a course marker, and came upon the Stage 5 marking.
“Teams Multivan Merida, Bulls and Bulls 2 missed a route marker. After following what they thought was the correct route, their path intersected stage 5’s route, which was already marked, and they then continued to follow stage 5’s route markers, and thought that this was today’s course.
The route markers are identical for all stages and hence the riders did not realise that they were on the wrong course until much later, after which they were approached and turned around by a media motorbike. They then retraced their steps and rejoined the course where they had left it.
They crossed the finish line with a time gap of 21.53,2 minutes to the leaders.
The commissaires panel and the organisers took the decision to award the first of the three teams in question the winning time plus 10 minutes, the second team received a gap of 10 minutes and 1 second and the third team received a gap of 10 minutes and 2 seconds. This decision was based on the time gap between the leaders and the chasing group of Multivan Merida, Bulls and Bulls 2 at the point where the teams took the wrong turn, and adding the estimated time it would have taken the chasing group to realise their mistake and turn back, had they not encountered tomorrow’s route signage.
Usually, if a team takes an incorrect turn and rides off-course, the team would no longer see any more route markings. They should then realise, within a few hundred meters, that they have left the marked route. The estimated time added to the time gap was calculated on the amount of time it can reasonably be assumed that a team would take to turn around and return to the marked route.
The time will only be adjusted on GC, but not on stage results – hence the podium for stage 4 remains unchanged.
A team is required to take reasonable responsibility for navigating the course. The lead motorbikes are to ensure the course marking is correctly in place and to ensure that the course is free of obstacles. They are instructed to remain out of sight of the leading riders at all times to ensure all riders are required to navigate and no teams receive an unfair advantage by merely following a motorbike.
The commissaires were required to exercise discretionary intervention with today’s case, distinguishing the difference between yesterday’s incident involving team Burry Stander – Songo and today’s, with teams Multivan Merida, Bulls and Bulls 2. Yesterday’s incident was addressed by rules which provides for teams leaving the marked route, today’s required a decision by the commissaires, as riders were still following the official route markers, though for the following day’s stage . In both cases, the route marking team returned to the site of the incidents in question and were satisfied that the course was sufficiently marked.
Benno Willeit, team manager of Burry Stander – SONGO, says: “Our guys showed again that they’re the strongest out there. Today everything went smooth and at the last water point we had a gap of five minutes I think. But today they (Bulls) were unlucky like our guys yesterday by going off-track. They, like we did yesterday, took the wrong turn. A few meters after that they saw a sign that is no different from all the other Cape Epic markings – it looked the same and they just followed it. By the time they realised they were wrong, they had to ride all the way back and in the process lost 20 minutes. This is not how we would like to win the race though. This morning we didn’t think about the lead and now we have a lead of 1 minute. It’s enough to bring home the Yellow.”
Friedeman Schmude, team manager of the Bulls, adds: “The decision was made by die UCI. It’s a done deal it seems. All the teams have a difference of opinion obviously. And it’s a difficult situation for the teams and the decision makers.”
What do you think? Is this the best way for the situation to have been dealt with? Post your views in the comments section below.