UCI womens Continental team Cynisca Cycling had a DS and a mechanic
suspended, four riders reprimanded, and the team suspended from racing
two races for having a team mechanic pose as a rider at sign-in.

https://www.cyclingweekly.com/racing/professional-cycling-team-attempted-to-sign-on-with-mechanic-dressing-up-as-rider

"this was done by the team's four riders lying about the whereabouts of
the fifth rider, who was said to be ill. When this didn't allow the team
to compete, Van Haute made the team's mechanic dress up as a rider and
wear a face mask, in order to sign on"

Cynisca fired the DS and the mechanic.

Seems silly to me to not allow the team to participate with one rider
missing.

On 3/3/2024 7:20 AM, zen cycle wrote:
> UCI womens Continental team Cynisca Cycling had a DS and a mechanic
> suspended, four riders reprimanded, and the team suspended from racing
> two races for having a team mechanic pose as a rider at sign-in.
>
> https://www.cyclingweekly.com/racing/professional-cycling-team-attempted-to-sign-on-with-mechanic-dressing-up-as-rider
>
> "this was done by the team's four riders lying about the whereabouts of
> the fifth rider, who was said to be ill. When this didn't allow the team
> to compete, Van Haute made the team's mechanic dress up as a rider and
> wear a face mask, in order to sign on"
>
> Cynisca fired the DS and the mechanic.
>
> Seems silly to me to not allow the team to participate with one rider
> missing.

That does seem weird. But perhaps not as weird as this incident:
https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/college-swimmer-stripped-title-seconds-142919649.html

The swimming race was essentially over, and the winner's behavior
certainly didn't have any detrimental effect on others. Those
detrimental effects were the reason the rule was written in the first
place.

--
- Frank Krygowski