'A very weird day' - Valenciana TT decision splits opinion in peloton

Riders encountered difficulties in controlling their bikes during the recon, while there were also reports of barriers being blown into the course by the sharp gusts of wind.

Following discussions between riders, the commissaires and the race organisation before the start of the time trial, it was agreed that riders would not use their time trial bikes during the 17km test, while the stage itself would not count towards the general classification.

Despite the neutralisation, pre-race favourite Remco Evenepoel (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) scorched to victory in the time trial, but it was striking that many riders, including João Almeida (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) and yellow jersey Biniam Girmay (NSN) opted to soft-pedal around the course.

While most riders appeared to agree that the organisation was correct to prohibit the use of time trial bikes, there was less consensus on the decision to neutralise the time for the general classification.

“Today in the recon, I didn’t feel safe or comfortable at all, so I think it was a good decision not to go on the road bike,” Felix Grossschartner (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) told Eurosport. “For sure, it’s nicer to go on a TT bike in a TT, but for safety reasons, it was a good solution to race and still do the stage.”

That thought was echoed by his UAE teammate Almeida, who took no risks once it was established the time would not count towards GC. “Some gusts were quite extreme when you come to somewhere that is open,” Almeida told Eurosport. “I think on the TT bike it would definitely not have been a good decision to race.”

Evenepoel was diplomatic about the call - “I wanted to respect the organisation” - and he downplayed the idea that he was frustrated to have missed out on the chance to move into the overall lead.

Cian Uijtdebroeks, meanwhile, was in favour of cancelling the stage altogether. The Movistar rider had already raised the alarm about the dangers of the conditions before the decision was taken to neutralise the stage, and he rolled around the course some 3:29 down on Evenepoel.

“It wasn’t safe, even doing the reconnaissance was actually irresponsible,” Uijtdebroeks told Sporza. “I would have simply cancelled it today. That’s very clear.”

Uijtdebroeks’ Movistar teammate Iván Romeo had a slightly different view. The Spaniard has begun the season in fine form, and he had earmarked a result in Thursday’s time trial. While he agreed with the prohibition on time trial bikes, he confessed to confusion at why the stage didn’t count for GC.

“I was not very motivated today after all that happened,” Romeo told Eurosport after taking tenth on the stage. “It’s very hard to compete when for two hours before the start you’re on the phone on a group chat trying to figure out what to do, and then you have to jump on the rollers and do the warm-up. It’s not ideal.

“I’m not happy with how it went regarding the decision. It was not perfect, of course, but it was possible to race today, and we did. We went 50k an hour, so I don’t understand the decision of doing the race but the time not counting for GC. It makes no sense. If we are not going to take risks, then we shouldn’t do the race.”

Romeo explained that there was disagreement among riders over the decision to neutralise the stage, and he felt that the riders themselves should not have been making the decision.

“There should be a protocol, and it shouldn’t be us talking and deciding 20 mins before the start of the race,” he said. “50% wanted to race as we did but with the time counting for GC and then some others didn’t want that. 

“There should be rules and someone outside of the riders who decides what we do or don’t do because like this it made no sense. It’s just a very weird day. I’ll just try to forget it and move on.”

The decision appeared ultimately to be a compromise between rider safety and the contractual obligations of the bike race itself. Race director Ángel Casero acknowledged the frustrations of the riders, but the 2000 Vuelta a España champion insisted that the decision to neutralise the stage was the best option available.

“As organiser, it’s a bit sad because we’re organising a high-level race and you want the best possible,” Casero said, according to EFE. “I think today’s stage could have been very decisive for the GC. But there was an awful lot of wind at the start, almost 100kph, so very dangerous to compete in, and this was the best option.

“I think Remco wanted to win this TT and he showed that. Maybe he’s annoyed because he could have gained time in GC, so I’m sorry for him, but the truth is the wind conditions were very serious.”