2022 World Sprint Crash

(All pictures can be clicked for a larger image in a separate window)

Gea competed in the Sprint competition of the UCI World Championships for 55+ Women on September 29, 2022. In the Semi-Final she had won the first ride against Debbie Capewell (the current British National Sprint champion) with comparative ease. The second ride should have been an easy win also, however complications arose.
 
Riders lined up to start ride 2.
 
Below is a picture right after the start of ride 2.
 
Riders at about 215m to go to the finish line.
 
The white line running down the track just past the red banner for Dignity Health Sport Park is the 200m to go line. There are three blue banners (two that can be seen in the picture) that precede that red banner. The area between the bottom black line and the red line about a meter above defines the sprinters lane, which is officially from 200m to the finish line of the final lap of a race, but is also referenced as such during other times as well. After a sprint has launched to speed, the lead rider in the sprinters lane can not exit that lane (even before 200m) to interfere with a rider passing and other riders can not come into the lane where it would interfere with the progress of the sprinter in the lane. These are the basic rules for the lane.

In the current UCI Rules it states:
3.2.041 Before the last 200 metres line or the start of the final sprint, riders may avail themselves of the full width of the track but must nevertheless leave sufficient space for their opponent to pass and shall refrain from any manoeuvres that could provoke a collision, a fall or cause any rider to ride off the track.
3.2.042 During the final sprint, even if launched before the last 200 metres, each rider shall remain in his lane up to the finish, unless he has at least a clear cycle-length lead and shall not make any manoeuvre to prevent the opponent from passing.
So rule 3.2.042 extends the lead rider's sprinters lane restriction of remaining in the lane to be virtually longer if they enter the lane prior to 200m to go and they have started to go at speed.

The match sprint race is 3 laps total, where the winner is whoever crosses the finish line first. Gea started on the inside this round, since she started on the outside in the first round. Just before two laps to go, Debbie takes the lead and forces Gea off the track to the inside after passing her. UCI rule 3.2.044 A rider passing on the right of his opponent, who is in the sprinters’ lane, may not crowd him or cause him suddenly to reduce speed.
 
Debbie about to pass before 2 to go.
 
 
Debbie passing with 2 to go, crowding Gea.
 
 
Debbie forcing Gea off the inside of the track.
 
Debbie continued to lead at one lap to go at a good speed and Gea can be seen behind her and above the red line. Debbie was at the bottom of the track just above the black line (technically in the lane).
 
One lap to go. 250m to go and at speed. Debbie between black and red lines. Gea above red line.
 
As the straightaway ended, Gea had begun her acceleration to pass Debbie. Debbie can be seen to have then moved above the red line to interfere with her progress (technically out of the lane). This is a violation of UCI rule 3.2.042 since she started the sprint at 250m while in the lane and then exited it as Gea tried to pass.
 
Passing Debbie. Debbie had moved above red line which is illegal.
 
As they entered the banking (often termed turn 1), Gea was out of the saddle as she began to get bumped by Debbie. This is a violation of UCI rule 2.3.041 as Debbie performed a manoeuvre that provoked a collision. Gea can be seen to be still above the red line.
 
Passing in turn 1.
 
A split second later, Gea was completely off balance and out of control after colliding with Debbie. It's not easy to see from this angle, but she was still above the red line. They are also at the first of the 3 blue banners, so there was about 230m to go to the finish.
 
Impact had occurred.
 
Gea hit the track hard on her left hip
 
Down on the track.
 
 
Debbie had continued to ride further up the track,
almost to the center line.
 
Debbie's momentum continued well above the center line.
 
As Gea slid along her back toward the red line, Debbie leveled off and was coming up to the 200m line.
 
Sliding to red line.
 
 
Reaching the apron.
 
 
Debbie at 200m to go. Timing tape for 200m times can be seen on apron.
 
 
Gea's slide stopped a few meters short of the timing tape.
 
As can be seen, Gea never made it to the 200m to go point, the start of the sprinters lane. 2 minutes and 15 seconds later there is an announcement of
"A warning has been issued to rider 490, Gea Johnson, for entering the sprinters lane when the opponent was already there."
This was ridiculous as Gea never made it to the sprinters lane (which begins at 200m to go), Gea was above the red line from 1 lap to go until she crashed, and Debbie was not in the sprinters lane when she came into contact with Gea. Debbie should have been disqualified for two UCI violations, especially when those resulted in taking a rider down.

UCI rule 3.2.048.1 If the fall be intentionally caused by a competitor, that competitor shall be relegated or disqualified from the tournament according to the gravity of the fault committed and the other competitor declared the winner.
Gea never broke any rules here and could have sustained major injuries through no fault of her own.

Another rule also came into play, UCI rule 3.2.049 If the rider committing the infringement is not relegated or disqualified, the race shall be restarted, and the opponent shall decide their starting position. This provided the opportunity for Debbie to select to start the re-ride on the inside if she so chose. Normally the outside position is considered favored as the rider can hang back and have a better position to observe the other rider.

Another 2 and a half minutes later, Gea limped past the finish line to the gate in the track, holding her left hip. She sat in the chairs at the track level so that she didn't have to do the stairs and also avoid Debbie who was sitting below.
 
Limping back to the gate.
 
Another 2 and a half minutes and she was back on her bike and a minute 20 seconds later they rolled off the line for a re-do. Debbie was in the lower position on the re-do ride, which she had to have made the decision to take using rule 3.2.049, since her original position was on the outside and would have been the default if Gea had not been issued a warning. Debbie was brought to the line first and positioned herself very high on the track. Gea was brought to the normal lower position, but then was informed she was to be on the outside (not by any official), so they had to roll her back and around Debbie, putting her just a foot away from the outside rail. Obviously nobody had informed Gea of the change of position from the initial Ride 2.
 
Initial lineup for the restart. Debbie and holder telling Gea she needs to reposition.
 
 
Gea having to be backed out to be setup up higher.
 
 
Gea starts just barely off the rail.
 
The reason for this decision became apparent a few seconds later. This strategy not only would throw confusion into Gea just seconds before the ride in hopes to distract her concentration for what was about to happen, but it would put her highest on the track where it would be more likely for her to gain speed at the very start. Debbie started off at a moderate pace, with Gea trailing by about three lengths as they rode the apron off the start. Just before the 200m to go line just after they got started, Debbie back pedaled hard, so hard that she came out of the saddle to exert maximum force on the pedal, and Gea tried as hard as she could to not pass her (which must have been extremely painful as well, suffering the injuries of the crash). In a previous round, Gea had passed on the left on the apron in the first half lap and the ride had to be restarted. If a rider gets two relegations in a round, they forfeit the round (UCI rule 3.2.013), which is what Debbie was trying to force.
 
Gea tried to leave a safe initial gap.
 
 
Intentional hard brake with Debbie pushed up out of the saddle from the effort.
 
 
Gea struggled to not overtake.
 
Debbie's action was a violation of UCI rule 3.2.039 The rider on the inside of the track, unless overtaken, shall lead at least at walking pace and make no manoeuvre to force his opponent through until reaching the pursuit line on the opposite side of the track. The official standing right at the scene of the violation made no move to raise the issue. Possibly he was there only to flag a rider overtaking on the left, rather than flagging someone making a manoeuvre to force his opponent through.

As the race progressed, Debbie tried to intimidate Gea with some more body movements to push her up the track, but Gea was able to steer clear and dropped back to avoid the situation. On the bell lap, the situation was nearly identical to the previous ride, with Debbie again already in the lane, which she is then required to then stay in. However, Debbie did not illegally ride up into Gea this time in turn 1. When they hit 200m to go, Debbie was still in the sprinters lane and Gea was safely a meter and a half up track and almost even with her. As they hit the straightaway on the back stretch, Gea turned it on, quickly passing Debbie who sat up half way down the stretch.
 
Bell lap.
 
 
Turn 1.
 
 
200m to go.
 
 
Debbie forfeited half way down the back stretch, sitting up.
 
 
Gea took the win to move to the Gold final round.
 
Immediately after the line, the announcer stated: "Johnson will take it in two and will be racing Whitten for Gold, Capewell will be racing Graddon for Bronze."
It wasn't until the medal ceremony later that evening that it was discovered that this was not true, as Whitten would be given the Gold medal for the 60-64 age group and Capewell received the Silver for the 55-59 age group. So this match up was actually for the world championships. The Bronze medal winner was Dana Stryk, the current 55-59 U.S. National Match Sprint champion. Graddon of New Zealand would be awarded the silver medal in the 60-64 age group; she had been bested by Whitten in a Semi-Final, so at least the 60-64 riders were actually able to ride against each other to determine their medals.

Gea would valiantly go on to take two straight for the supposed Gold medal against a very tough Australian National champ by riding the front so fast and long that she couldn't be passed. Gea was in immense pain, but was able to be the consummate professional and accomplish her goal.

Download video of crash ride.
Original YouTube video. Gea match sprint rides in this video:
15:48 Capewell-Johnson ride 1 Semi-Final.
45:35 Capewell-Johnson ride 2 Semi-Final with crash.
54:30 Capewell-Johnson ride 2 Semi-Final re-ride.
1:55:40 Whitten-Johnson ride 1 Finals.
2:54:33 Whitten-Johnson ride 2 Finals for gold medal.

YouTube video of morning round 1/4 Finals:
55:37 200m Qualifying rides begin for 55+ women.
1:03:34 200m Gea rolls off for her ride to finish 3.5 laps later while Whitten is finishing, however at 2.6 laps to go the video cuts out to show just the results, missing Gea's ride entirely.
2:09:12 Stearns-Johnson ride 1 Quarter-Final.
2:11:17 Stearns-Johnson ride 1 Quarter-Final re-ride.
3:09:25 Stearns-Johnson ride 2 Quarter-Final.


These were official UCI (the top level international governing body of cycling) World Championships. One would expect better organization, judging, and communication in a high school meet.