WORLD CUP | Van der Poel, Pidcock and Sagan don't start in the back row: but it's controversial

Van der Poel moved from the last row of the grid, 13th, to 4th thanks to a change in the UCI regulations just over 24 hours after the race. Same goes for Tom Pidcock. Peter Sagan has also been brought forward on the grid and will start ahead of athletes who are currently much more popular in MTB.

And some riders complain about these changes made a few hours after the race just to favor the athletes: among the first Nino Schurter (READ ARTICLE).

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STARTING LIST XCO WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 2023

MATHIEU VAN DER POEL

The Dutchman, not having a single UCI point in MTB, was forced to start from the last row. But not now after an ad hoc modification of the regulation just for him, but which could also be valid in the future for other athletes. Thomas Pidcock and Peter Sagan have also exploited this possibility. The rule allows a good grid position for cyclists well classified in the UCI classifications of other modalities.

What was the regulation like up to now? The starting grid in the XCO World Championship was established by the UCI XCO ranking. Among the bikers without UCI points, a random selection was made.

DOUBTS IN THE RULE

The rule, not having a "scientific" basis, can give rise to controversy: not in the case of Mathieu Van der Poel, given his physical form, but for example in that of Peter Sagan, who will start in front of the Short Track World Champion Sam Gaze, and to Victor Koretzky, also an athlete who competes in a professional road team and who was 2nd in the Short Track yesterday.