‘The phone simply is not being answered’ - SD Worx ready to fight UCI over Wiebes disqualification

After Wiebes was disqualified following the opening stage, the Dutch team responded on the road in stage four, where Anna van der Breggen delivered a ruthless performance in the time trial to claim the pink jersey. Yet behind that sporting recovery, the team is still preparing for a fight off the bike.

Wiebes was taken out of the race after officials ruled that her bike was below the minimum permitted weight. SD Worx disputes both the outcome and the way the check was carried out, and team manager Erwin Janssen says the matter has now been placed in the hands of legal advisers.

“For us this is not only about the result,” Janssen told Wielerflits. “It is also about Lorena’s reputation and about the consequences this decision has created. We have brought in legal support and we intend to pursue the matter.”

The team is still working through the financial consequences of the disqualification. Janssen says the damage could extend well beyond the opening stage, with prize money, UCI points and sponsor related clauses all potentially affected.

“There are several layers to it,” he said. “You have the stages she could no longer ride, the points that disappeared from the table and the commercial agreements that are tied to results. We are putting all of that together now.”

A case before the Court of Arbitration for Sport is now seen as a realistic possibility. According to Janssen, SD Worx Protime has struggled to get a meaningful response from the UCI since the decision was made.

“The UCI is simply not responding,” he said. “No one picks up the phone. Only our lawyer managed to reach someone higher up at the UCI.”

Much of the team’s frustration centres on the procedure around the bike check. Janssen believes the inspection was handled far below the standard that should be expected at a race of this level, particularly given the consequences for the rider and the team.

“It is simply bizarre that we are being brushed off like this,” he said. “Teams are expected to operate at the highest professional level, while on the other side you have amateurs, or semi professionals, carrying out such a bike measurement in a very unprofessional way. I am stunned by how much has gone wrong.”

He also claims that important safeguards were missing. According to Janssen, the team management present was not asked to sign a measurement report, while SD Worx was not given the chance to request an independent second check.

That is why the team believes it may have a strong case if the dispute moves into formal proceedings. Janssen says the UCI has so far shown little willingness to reconsider, while SD Worx Protime insists it would never deliberately take risks with equipment weight.

“The UCI is not budging,” he said. “Their position is simply that too light is too light. There is very little understanding or flexibility, while we never take risks with the bike.”

According to Janssen, Wiebes’ bike had consistently been above the minimum limit in previous checks.

“Lorena’s bike always weighed between 6.83 and 6.85 kilos, so this really comes down to the wind,” he said. “The bike was blowing from left to right. From what I have heard from experts, wind can make a huge difference during a measurement. That is something we are now investigating.”

Wiebes wasn’t the only rider removed from the race. During stage 5 of the Giro, Argyro Milaki and Anita Baima were disqualified after the jury report stated they had held on to a team car.