Over three months after the incident which saw Filip Maciejuk (Bahrain Victorious) spark a huge crash at the Tour of Flanders, the UCI has moved to ban the Polish rider from racing for a period of 30 days.
The UCI announced on Wednesday morning that its Disciplinary Commission had ruled against the 23-year-old for his actions at the race on April 2. The ban started on July 25.
With 140km to go in the Tour of Flanders, Maciejuk rode up the side of the peloton on a footpath before hitting a patch of deep wet grass, losing control and swerving into the peloton. His move sparked off a domino effect of crashes across the road, with numerous riders going down.
Former winner Peter Sagan (TotalEnergies) was forced to abandon early in what was his final Tour of Flanders, while Tim Wellens (UAE Team Emirates) was left with a badly fractured collarbone and Ben Turner (Ineos Grenadiers) fractured his left arm.
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For years, riders have used gutters, footpaths, bike paths and even the dirt sections along the edge of roads to find an advantage and move up in races. However, crashes and the dangers to the public have forced the UCI to introduce stricter rules and punishments.
Maciejuk was disqualified from the race after UCI video commissaires reviewed the footage. Now the UCI has handed down a 30-day suspension after their Disciplinary Commission found Maciejuk "in breach of article 12.4.007 of the UCI regulations for having caused the crash of several riders in the peloton after riding outside the race course and through a puddle on the roadside."
Article 12.4.007 of the UCI regulations concerns endangerment of other parties within races, reading, "Any person or entity subject to this Part who exposes another party to an immediate risk of death or injury by a deliberate act or behaviour that is contrary to the regulations regarding safety or care shall receive a disciplinary sanction."
Maciejuk has continued racing since the incident, taking on Amstel Gold Race, La Flechè Wallonne, the Tour de Romandie and Tour de Suisse, among other races. On Saturday he finished seventh in the Visegrad 4 Bicycle Race Grand Prix Poland while riding for the Polish national team.
He will now only be eligible to compete again on August 25.
The decision now means that Maciejuk will miss out on possible selection at the upcoming Road World Championships in Glasgow. He'll also be suspended during his home race, the Tour de Pologne, and other WorldTour races including Donostia San Sebastián Klasikoa, and the Renewi Tour.
Maciejuk, who turned pro with Bahrain Victorious last year, was quick to apologise for his actions after the Tour of Flanders.
"I'm really sorry for my mistake and causing the crash," he wrote on Twitter at the time.
"I hope all those involved are in good health and safe. This should not happen and was a big error in my judgement.
"I had no intention of causing this. All I can do now is apologise for my mistake and learn from this in the future. Sorry again to the peloton, my teammates and the fans."
