Movistar fined 1,600 CHF and Visma-Lease a Bike complain after bike check delays and late starts in Vuelta Femenina TTT

There was confusion and frustration in the stage 1 team time trial of La Vuelta Femenina as delayed and missed bike checks led to riders missing their start time, losing crucial seconds, and in Movistar's case, earning a hefty 1,600 CHF fine.

One of the teams affected, Visma-Lease a Bike, has lodged an official complaint but will not receive any time back after attesting to being "disadvantaged" during the TTT and losing 21 seconds on the winners Lidl-Trek after a scramble at the start.

In the middle of the time trial, the usually smooth start process became disorganised as several riders in a row started late. First, Movistar arrived on the ramp just seconds before their start time, with Tota Magalhães starting late and Cat Ferguson starting with a mechanical issue.

The team directly after them in the start order, Uno-X Mobility, started a full seven seconds late, and then Visma-Lease a Bike had to scramble to the start with Imogen Wolff rolling down the ramp once the clock had started and being forced to chase to catch up to her team.

In a time trial, teams are given a start time, and that is strictly adhered to. The beeping countdown will start, and the clock will start running whether the riders are there or not, and it is considered the riders' and team's responsibility to be there on time.

However, after the stage details emerged, it was suggested that issues with the pre-race bike checks had caused delays.

"Although the riders arrived well in time for the mandatory bike check prior to the team time trial, delays occurred due to another team arriving late," Visma-Lease a Bike said in a statement released post-stage.

"In addition, the check was initially carried out by only one official, further extending the wait time. A second inspector was deployed later, but by then, Team Visma | Lease a Bike Women was no longer able to benefit from the extra capacity. As a result, some riders received their bikes back so late that they could not reach the start on time."

The team that arrived to the checks late appears to be Movistar, as the team were penalised by the jury for breaking article 2.12.007-9.2 of the UCI rules: "Bicycles and equipment not presented for checking at least 15 minutes before a rider’s or team’s start time in a time trial." 

Each member of the team was fined 200 CHF, plus another 200 CHF fine for DS Jorge Sanz, but the bigger consequences were for the teams delayed by Movistar's lateness. Movistar finished seventh on the stage, faster than the two teams who were held up.

“Due to the actions of one of the teams in front of us, we arrived late at the start," Anouska Koster of Uno-X explained in comments posted to her website. "We were at the bike checkpoint a good fifteen minutes in advance, but because another team arrived later, we had to wait, and our checkpoint was not ready in time. 

"We had no idea that we had to start already, because no one indicated the time. So we were not yet in the starting position, so we were not yet clicked in, and there was no countdown. In the end, we left 10 seconds late."

As a result, Uno-X finished 11th, 23 seconds adrift of the winning time.

"All in all, we are of course very disappointed, because we could have had a much better time," Koster said.

The third team affected, Visma-Lease a Bike, finished 10th on the day, losing 21 seconds in what may prove to be a frustrating early blow to Pauline Ferrand-Prévot's GC hopes, and the team were the first to officially complain.

"Team Visma | Lease a Bike was disadvantaged during the opening stage of La Vuelta Femenina due to errors in the UCI's team time trial start procedure," a statement from the team read. "The team filed an official complaint with the UCI jury immediately after the stage. They acknowledged that mistakes were made in the organization of the start process but stated that no further action would be taken."

"We operate in elite sport, and this is one of the major races on the calendar. Of course, we congratulate today’s rightful winners, Lidl-Trek, on their victory. At the same time, we want to stress that sport is about fair play for all teams. Sadly, that was not the case today, and we deeply regret it," Jacco Verhaeren, the team's head of coaching, added.

Unhappy with the issue and the lack of a resolution, the team also confirmed their intention to "pursue further steps and file a formal complaint with the UCI management".

On a road stage, only a handful of bikes may be checked on any given day, mainly in the fight against mechanical doping, but on TT days, all bikes are meant to be checked to ensure things like positions and measurements are all within the regulations. 

In cases of missed checks, there are hefty penalties – as Movistar discovered – but no clear protocol to make adjustments so that other teams are not affected or disadvantaged, as Uno-X and Visma-Lease a Bike felt they were on Sunday.