Van Schip disqualified from Tour of Holland over illegal bike | Video

The seatpost that has resulted in Jan-Willem van Schip's disqualification from NIBC Tour of Holland, though he is trying to get back into the race with an appeal @Julian_Dubbeld

Jan-Willem van Schip (Parkhotel Valkenburg) has been disqualified from NIBC Tour of Holland (2.1) after riding a bike the commissaires said did not comply with UCI rules. However, though the Dutch rider is best known for his unique handlebar set-up, it is his seat post that has landed him in hot water.

He normally rides very narrow Toot Engineering Ashaa RR aero bars - on the longest and most steeply angled stem in the peloton. That gives him a near TT position, which is ideal for staying aero, especially when he goes on the attack.

Today in the Netherlands he was using a Tavelos seatpost, which his team said was "upside down" - meaning it brought his saddle closer to his handlebars. And though he rode the same set-up at last month's Arno Wallaard Memorial, it has now been banned by the commisaires on the race in the Netherlands.

Advertisement

His team insists the equipment is compliant and that, specifically, there is no seatpost-related rule that bans the set-up he used today on stage 2 in the Netherlands, where he was on the attack.

He was only disqualified after the stage, meaning he has time to appeal and possibly get back into the race before he starts the stage TT tomorrow afternoon.

Related News

"His seatpost allegedly does not meet UCI requirements, but he has been riding with one for several years and has documentation that it is permitted," his team manager, Paul Tabak, told WielerFlits in a statement.

"It's very simple: everything is registered with the UCI. The wheels, your bike, your handlebars, everything. So if Jan-Willem rides with this seatpost, and he's been racing with it for several years, he has documentation.

"Everything is registered. But it's a difficult situation. Last year, he was also disqualified from a race the day after the Heistse Pijl, after using the Toot Engineering Ashaa RR Aero handlebars."

Related News