Laura Trott remains the winner of the elite women’s criterium at the IG London Nocturne, despite crossing the line behind Hannah Barnes, commissaires have ruled.
Barnes, a former national junior road race champion and a four-time Nocturne winner, was deemed guilty of dangerous riding for raising her hands from the bars in celebration while approaching lapped riders.
They have ruled that the original result – one that placed Trott ahead of Barnes – will stand.
Today, Barnes tweeted: “Has anyone ever been relegated for putting their arms up crossing the line celebrating the win or am I the first?”
In an interview given shortly after the race last Saturday, Trott told RoadCyclingUK that the finish had been complicated by passing slower riders.
“The finish was carnage because obviously we caught lapped riders, and I was like, ‘Which wheel am I supposed to be on?’
“Then I could see her [Barnes] and I just rolled her at the finish, but she celebrated and I was like, ‘Oh no – I hope I won!’
“Then everybody started chanting my name and I was like, ‘Thank God for that!’” Trott said.
A short delay followed the race while judges considered the outcome.
Trott was declared the winner with Barnes second and Trott’s Wiggle Honda team-mate, Dani King, third.
Nocturne organisers, the Face Partnership, today issued a statement in which they said the result had been reviewed after watching footage recorded by Channel 4.
Having reviewed the footage, the organisers referred the matter to British Cycling Comissaires, who agreed that Barnes had finished ahead of Trott.
But in a ruling that will allow Saturday night’s result to remain, the commissaires declared, “…given the leaders’ proximity in the sprint to a slower group of riders ahead on the road [and an imminent need to brake], officials have given consideration to Technical Regulations 12.1* and 20.12.2** and allowed the provisional result to stand.”
Technical regulation 12.1 allows commissaires to impose penalties at their discretion.
Regulation 20.12.2 warns that competitors who ride dangerously shall be liable to disqualification and further disciplinarys action. “All competitors must observe the law of the land in relation to road travel, and exercise extreme care when contesting sprints or primes.”
Channel 4 will screen highlights of the race at 7.35am on Sunday (June 16).
