Rui Costa (UAE Team Emirates) has become the latest rider to be relegated for an irregular sprint at La Vuelta after Sam Bennett lost his stage 9 win due to shoulder barging.
Costa was relegated today when he was 3rd across the line at the end of stage 16 - behind Magnus Cort (EF Pro Cycling) and Primoz Roglic (Jumbo Visma). But he lost his place after being relegated due to an irregular sprint.
Bennett's shouldering of a sprint rival just before the final gallop on stage 9 was not a good look - especially when watched a couple of times. The Irishman, riding for Deceuninck-QuickStep, shouldered Emils Liepins (Trek-Segafredo) twice. When a complaint was made it was a hard move for Bennett to defend.
Costa's offence today was much milder; a movement across the road, but not a sudden switch. Yet he paid the price and lost his 3rd place.
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However, what is especially hard to understand in the context of Bennett's relegation last week and Costa's today, is the fact that Pascal Ackermann (Bora-hansgrohe) went unpunished for his move in the sprint at the end of yesterday's stage 15.
During the moment of maximum speed, and in the wet, Ackermann made considerable contact with Jasper Philipsen (UAE Team Emirates).
Luckily nobody crashed and Philipsen was so strong he was able to shrug off the contact and sprint to the line for victory, as Ackermann took 2nd place.
Ackermann's shouldering motion was not unlike what his team mate Peter Sagan did to Wout van Aert (Jumbo Visma) at the end of stage 11 of the Tour de France. On that occasion, Sagan lost his 2nd place on the stage as well as a lot of points in the green jersey contest when he was relegated.
The UCI has tightened the sprinting rules since the incident at the end of stage 1 at the Tour of Poland that saw Fabio Jakobsen (Deceuninck-QuickStep) crash and suffer career-threatening injuries.
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He was squeezed into the crowd control barriers as Dylan Groenewegen (Jumbo Visma) moved off his sprinting line. While significant damage was done by the failure of the finishing straight barriers, the UCI has targeted sprinting rules and Groenewegen also faces a ban of up to nine months.
While nobody wants to see any riders relegated (including Pascal Ackermann - Ed), any changes in the rules that make racing safer are to be welcomed. However, those rules must be applied consistently.
Have a look at the three videos below and see for yourself whether Bennett, and especially Costa, warranted being relegated while Ackermann's sprint was deemed acceptable.
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