12 Riders Receive Warnings or Fines After Rule Breaches at the Snowshoe XC World Cup

 @Ebinator: "race outfit is podium outfit"

I would have loved to see all the XC riders up there just brown with mud from head to toe, no sponsor logos or colors visible, just eyes and teeth.

TBH I never really understood why there are 2 podium events in the first place... like there's the one right after the race we see on the livestream (which I think is not the one Neff got fined for), then there's the one like an hour later when everyone has gotten cleaned up and half the fans are gone and the other half are just waiting for the ceremony to be over so the band can come out and play.

 @bkm303:

I do get your point with all the dirt on the outfits.

For me though, this is the pinnacle of XC Mountainbike racing and the worlds biggest stage.
And on the one hand a big part of the community always wants higher wages and professionalism, on the other hand they don't want the things that come with that more professional approach. Like proper podium ceremonies for press,visitors, etc.

No criticism, just my point of view.

 @bkm303: because attending a World Cup is a busy experience. The 3 person podium at the end of the race can’t even be seen by most the crowd at the finish line let alone those who are on the course. Having the official podium at a different time let’s everyone partake if they want to be there.

 @bulletbassman: I guess so... I've been to 3 world cups and never felt like the 'official' podium ceremony was a big event for most of the people there - people were mostly just drinking beer and waiting for the music/party to start. But I guess it's nice to have all the mens/womens/juniors winners all together.

 I would think Trek would want her out there flying the flag with a nice clean jersey so wearing a jacket seems like not the best choice.

 @bkm303: Jolanda must have been fined during the latter ceremony as she was 5th Place and would not have been part of the first one where only the Top 3 are brought up.

After the drenching they took, I'd be looking for some warm clothes to bundle up in too.
Trek needs to get the poor girl a Marino Wool Base Layer or something like it to wear under her jersey.
My favorite Go-To when it's cold.

Considering the weather that day I think the UCI is being unnecessarily heavy handed on this one. A warning seems more in line. A professional organization has to have rules but how they're enforced should have a bit more thought and situational awareness concerning the circumstances of an infraction applied.

 @bkm303:

I think the key qualifier for my statement was if they want to be there.

 @Augustus-G: the five rider podium is usually held after the mens race. So first U23, then women and men podium ceremony. In this case Jolanda would have had two hours to get a warm shower and put on dry clothes, put on her jacket and then take it off for the five minutes on the podium. And yes it was raining but Rob Warner stated it several times that the temperatures were in the 20s C.

 I was there and can’t overstate how cold, rainy, and miserable it was on the mountain that day and I wasn’t wearing a skimpy Lycra kit for 2 hours. F the UCI.

 @Ebinator: You can miss me with that "rules are rules" logic... Are you implying that in a situation where a rider is at risk we should still listen to a bunch of non racers in the UCI because "rules are rules?" Also might sound stupid to some, but Jolanda had an additional XC race the following week, and a world championship in 3 weeks, so something as trivial as a cold could quite literally derail her entire season

 Yep, UCI are really taking care of the big issues

 @Onetrakcmind:

To me its part of the professionalism. She would not have got a fine for being on the podium in her long sleeve thermo jersey with sponsors etc on it.
But if you want it to be a sport seen by as many people as possible you can't have 5 ladies or gents in adidas joggers and crocs on the main stage.
Easy as that

 Came here for this comment, UCI you can't make your fines higher than the prize money otherwise you are highlighting how pathetically low your prize money is.

 @ctd07: Right, landing on the podium can cost you money if you're not careful. That's a joke.

 Being cold is fine, it's being warm is $1000.

 @jeffrocx: Only $1000?! Outrageous!

 They need to harden up!

 @jeffrocx: Heating bills have become quite expensive lately!

 Especially when the fine for having your wheel over the start line, which is arguably cheating- is a warning.

 Yeah its pretty stupid considering Trek is the one that doesn't get their logos displayed. Whatever, I am sure the Jolanda is very well paid.

 yeah, trek is probably more interested in their rider not getting pneumonia.

 @HB208: She's wearing an Arcteryx jacket that's adorned with the team logos.

Rules exist for a reason... I'm sure.

 @prevail: Oh no! Just imagine the horror of all five of them wearing a (gasp) black jacket

 @prevail: you’re pissing into the wind bru

 @cgreaseman: Petty rules for petty people

 They've always had this power and have fined riders for BS infractions. The UCI taking away the riders' hard-earned money is nothing new. They're a leech on the sport under the veil of "legitimacy". Nothing new here, just keep pretending the UCI cares.

 @scott-townes: even in road racing... a guy got DQ'd this year for tossing a bottle to a fan during a major race. Afterwards (but too late for that guy) they lightened up the penalty. Now if you toss a bottle it's just 25 UCI points (the amount you get for finishing 3rd in a Tour de France stage).

Here's a thought... if riders' wheels are over the start line, why not just tell them to back up? Refs in soccer do it all the time.

I don't understand the jersey thing at all.

 @scott-townes: I seem to remember a certain Shaun Palmer wearing a gold suit and crown on a podium, did he get fined for that or was it that he out-earned the others so much it didn't matter? Most of the live fans are trying to get out when the podium happens and drive/ride or get the shuttle to the car park, I do. Point being, once everyone knows who won what it's all just ceremonious bs.

 @djm35: Not all of the rules were implemented at the get-go. UCI is a lot different than what it was when DH became part of their organization in the early 90s.

 @bkm303: Yeah, I always wonder when someone will be DQ'd for being over the start line. On the weekend some riders were about 1m ahead, which is a big deal when the course narrows quickly. I suppose they've been warned.

 

 Ha, yeah I remember thinking that on the TV coverage (it was even more obvious given that the camera guy was right next to her). She damn near snuck an extra bike length!

 How does that even work? In just about any other racing discipline in any other sport, start lines are a really big deal. So there's a problem with folks from behind pushing, I'm sure - that's just mass starts, and it happens in running, XC skiing, and of course here. But normally the cure to that is to not start until everyone is back behind the line if it's caused by too much pressure from behind, or to DSQ anyone who's over early if it's just a few people getting sneaky.

 @g-42: In competitive sailing, if you're over early you're required to return and restart, or you get an OCS penalty and are DSQ'd.

 @BikesBoatsNJeeps: Yep - that's my background, and starting tactics are a big part of the game. I'd think a standing mass start would be so much easier to manage. So coming back days later and issuing a "warning" to a top-level competitor for being over the line seems odd.

 Wouldn't it have just made more sense to say "oi move back"?

 I 100% noticed this, too. I wondered why no one was saying anything. In NICA, we just tell them to scootch back, but I guess it's different at the pro level.

 yap. So Courtney might have to pay 100 CHF for an unfair dick move while Neff will pay 10x more for wearing the wrong jacket. Makes sense, oh yeah, a lot of sense

 @singlespeedman: Courtney knew exactly where the camera was per usual, and did her fake chomping at the bit routine. So obvious.
Jolo has been sick on and off this year and was clearly trying to stay warm.
One is about narcissism, the other is about health.
Thanks for seeing clearly on this issue once again UCI.

 @Willikers: Excited, nervous...sure, but narcissism? Come on! LOL

 @MDW83:

 @MDW83: ok, cheater then.

 @tacopop: They're competitors, not monsters. A few cycles of just sitting there getting cold and not being able to start, and it would settle down. They don't even try right now, just fine riders.

 Seriously! I do this for children's races. If a bunch of 6-10 yearolds can be taught to stay behind the line, surely the professionals can. They don't because it isn't enforced. Just enforce it!

 I wondered for a long time why this wasn't enforced more strictly. I mean 10 or 20 cm does not sound a lot for a whole race. But when the track gets narrower after the start it could decide who just goes for it and who has to break. And this could easily lead to a difference of a couple of places.

 Even better would be to be like the Barkley Marathons, where a guy fault started by a few seconds and was DQ'd after the first lap, some 14h later. They should just note the fault start, and DQ them after the event, so they don't even get to rest.

 Can' believe I had to scroll down so far to get the obvious response. Yes indeed Sir Fuck them.

 You know the UCI has series sponsors independent of rider sponsors, right? Podiums are publicity, and so the UCI are just as involved in the discussion to maintain a level of professional appeal.

 @Jamminator: those sponsors' logos aren't printed on riders' jerseys, so what does that have to do with this? The race sponsors' logos are all over the backdrops and hoardings, regardless of what riders wear. So as many others have already said, it's an issue between her and her team, not the UCI.

 @b-boyben: Incorrect. It's absolutely between the UCI and riders as the riders agreed to follow the UCI rules. There's this whole segment of business called public relations. It's about maintaining a professional appeal associated with the highest level in the world and standards that come with. It's not a club race. These are protectionist rules. It also prevents people from wearing clothing with controversial content on them (i.e. profanity or political statements). In other respects, it even protects the team and team sponsors interests. And technically, the jersey presentations (i.e. series leader) actually do have Santini on them as they're the official jersey provider, even though the rider may not be sponsored at all by Santini.

 Two weeks ago Pinkbike was in the pocket of UCI/ESO with the survey about the future of downhill? Which is it? Pinkbike sold out or Pinkbike the saviour of the riders?

 I don't really remember seeing many fines in previous years but that could just be a change in the way they are communicated by the UCI. It's definitely not normal to have this many fines going by past races this year.

 Perhaps something has changed at the UCI? They seem to have been really overzealous with fines at the commonwealth games too. A fine for the NZ track cyclist that didn't attend the medal ceremony as she was a stand-in, didn't cross the finish line and had her main event less than an hour later. A fine for the England para tandem track cyclists who were told they were in the Bronze medal decider, told to attend the podium ceremony and then told there was no medal for them as a participant had dropped out reducing the field to 4 contestants meaning no bronze was to be awarded. They stood behind the podium crying and got fined for posing on the podium with some borrowed bronze medals for a few photos afterwards. UCI just seem a bit anal, especially considering that over the years they've missed a lot of the important rule infringments, like doping.

 It's not the same job, though... Their races are shorter. Shout-out to Trebon for calling Noble on this.

 @Jamminator: they race the same DH course and the same XC course. The XC race being shorter is a decision by UCI not the women's field I’m sure. Also, WTF? Seriously? They train the same, sacrifice the same, deal with the same injury burden, but you think because the women have a slightly shorter race the pay discrepancy is justified. Gross

 @stubs179: Where in my text did I say they should be paid less? Or did your irrational anger make gross assumptions? The decision to have shorter races is arbitrated by the UCI and riders union representative(s). The crux of my citation was that Trebon agreed women should be paid the same, as do I, and suggested doing the same length races would make it more equal (this would translate to the same exposure level for women's sponsors as the mens); Noble was vehemently against the idea, she wanted to keep her shorter CX races.

I highlighted one of several conundrums in the move toward true equality because people (perhaps you included) aren't willing to be objective nor realistic about the situation. MTB is much closer in the workload gap, but on the road side where the real pay inequality issue is based, it is quite substantial...races are significantly shorter and so it follows their training volumes are also lower.

Right now women's cycling is essentially run as a charity and that's not a sustainable model to attract more sponsors. The focus is misjudged. There needs to be a consensus and clear goal on how to add value to women's cycling to attract the high dollar sponsors. Shall we demand current sponsors pay more, when those sponsors were the ones who took the initiative to sponsor a women's team? Should UCI adopt an established minimum pay rate for all MTB World Cup participants, so that the women's field is cut in half because there's no sponsors to pay, and teams start cutting women from rosters? What about when the women's team is actually own/run by a woman, who is also a racer, and said woman is the one negotiating fellow women rider's contracts?

Perhaps you can share all your meaningful ideas here. There are certainly people of influence who read these comments and maybe can mention any goods ones to people who just might listen.

 These were only warnings.