Alberto Elli, right, in Tour de France yellow in 2001 when riding for Telekom. He has threatened to take his team off the Rás and was visibly irate at the stage finish in Tipperary.
Shane Stokes
Commenting after the decision was taken to disqualify the An Post Rás race leader Francesco Reda from the race one day after he took the yellow jersey, the UCI chief commissiare over the 2015 event, Danuta Macialek, has explained in full the reasoning behind the move.
She and race director Tony Campbell spoke to stickybottle shortly after the finish, giving their perspectives on the matter.
“There was a big mishap concerning the leader after (the) stage,” said Macialek, a Polish woman appointed to the role this year.
“Unfortunately he got a puncture with about 20 kilometres to go. He got a very irregular assistance from his car. That is why we had to disqualify this rider, rider number 63.
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“Potentially he could be a leader after today’s stage, but thanks to this irregular assistance he managed to catch the front group and we couldn’t just leave the result this way.”
She clarified that irregular assistance meant that he was towed by his team car; “exactly, on the window.”
Stickybottle spoke in detail to the first person who saw the infringement being committed, a motorbike marshal on the race who has acted as a commissaire on other events.
He said that it occurred just inside the 20 kilometre to go point and while the race leader had two team-mates with him after he changed his wheel.
He decided to hold on to the rear door window frame rather than draft behind them.
The marshal warned the team car via race radio that they were being observed, after which a mechanic leaned out of the window ostensibly to make an adjustment.
At that point a car containing one of the race’s commissaires got close enough to see and issued two warnings in succession.
The UCI's top official on the race Danuta Macialek (left) was very clear in her thinking on the Reda issue when spoken to by stickybottle.
Finally, after the second warning Reda released the car and then returned to the bunch with his team-mates’ help.
“He was warned twice that this is definitely irregular,” said Macialek.
“There were also other riders with punctures or returning after a crash and they were returning in a regular way, but this man… it was really clear that he got help.”
She added that he continued to hold on after getting the initial warning.
An Post Rás race director Tony Campbell was made aware of the incident at the finish.
“The story I have been told so far was that it all happened in the last 20 kilometres and it was blatantly hanging onto a car after his puncture,” he told stickybottle.
“He was asked to let go of the car. Again, this is not confirmed, I will have to sit down with the commissaires.
“But they have made their decision and I have to go by their decision.”
Campbell said that fair play was crucial to the event.
“It is very important for our county riders. Those young fellows are out there and they are really giving it full go every day.
"We can’t have fellows coming, foreign people coming in and just disobeying the rules.
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Rás director Tony Campbell has said the rules must be applied equally to everyone, adding it was important the UCI chief commissiare take the decision and he and his team accept that.
“The rules are there for everyone and those young fellows are doing everything to finish this race, never mind winning a stage. And this fellow had the yellow jersey and gets towed.”
Reda crossed the line at the front of the 29-man front group but soon after the stage it became clear his actions had jeopardised his leadership and, indeed, his place in the race.
An impromptu commissaires’ meeting was held in a bank entrance adjacent to the podium trailer.
Team manager Alberto Elli, himself with a doping related past, was present and loudly protested his and his rider’s innocence.
He said that if Reda was disqualified he would immediately take the team out of the race and head home.
Despite this threat, the commissaires took the decision to disqualify the rider.
Elli and Reda arrived at the podium to receive confirmation as to the course of action and then the manager started to protest once again.
He claimed the towing was only for 100 metres – something disputed by the moto marshal who observed the incident – and said it was unfair.
He stormed off the podium. Stickybottle followed him and sought comment, waiting while he finished an irate ten minute phone call.
However he refused to give his point of view, saying to "go and talk to the race people, the Irish, like you".
He later appealed the decision but this was rejected.
The man at the eye of the storm, Reda riding the 2009 Giro d'Italia for the Quickstep team (Photo: Sirotti)
Reda expressed his displeasure in angry terms via Twitter. “The stench of shit Irish sheep from the head to the UCI jury the tour Ireland and the organization.”
The Italian had been a controversial inclusion into the race due to a previous doping ban.
He refused to undergo a doping control in February 2013 and was handed a two year ban in June of that year.
However this was reduced to 14 months due to cooperation with anti-doping authorities.
Asked about this ban by stickybottle after he won Sunday’s stage, he skirted around the question and instead gave an answer – via Elli, who was translating – that he was feeling very strong.
He smirked after the answer was given, appearing not to appreciate being asked about the matter.
Approximately 24 hours later he was out of the race due to holding his team car and then not immediately stopping when warned to do so.
As for Elli, a past pro rider who was handed a suspended six month prison sentence in 2005 due to the seizure of doping products from his hotel room at the 2001 Giro d’Italia; the Italian appeared to be backtracking on his vow to pull the whole team out.
The race organisation indicated to stickybottle this evening that the squad was now expected to turn up at the start in Tipperary on Tuesday morning. If so, Reda will not be one of those pinning on a number.
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