Liege – Bastogne – Liege 2021: Richard Carapaz of Ineos disqualified for super-tuck descent

ByBen Snowball

Published 25/04/2021 at 20:28 GMT

Carapaz is unlikely to be too upset. The 2019 Giro d’Italia champion was not in contention come the end of the race. The super-tuck ban has been a contentious issue in cycling, with the UCI ready to disqualify riders who leave their saddle to sit on the top tube to gain an aerodynamic advantage while descending.

Richard Carapaz (Ineos Grenadiers) was disqualified from Liege – Bastogne – Liege after adopting the controversial super-tuck position.

The Ecuadorian was out in front after attacking with 21 kilometres remaining in Sunday's race and quickly established a lead.

However, the UCI ruled that his charge was aided by illegal means, with Carapaz spotted perching on his top tube as he handled a descent. The super-tuck was outlawed in April as the UCI moved to address safety in the sport.

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The jury report from Liege claimed Carapaz had been sanctioned for "use of a non conforming position" and also docked him 25 UCI World Ranking points.

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The super-tuck has proved a contentious topic, with some riders questioning why the sport’s governing body are getting bogged down by a small issue rather than improving safety as a whole.

Ultimately, the disqualification was not costly. Carapaz was swallowed up by the front group long before the finish as the race went to a five-way sprint.

Tadej Pogacar pulled out of Julian Alaphilippe’s slipstream to win the day, although Ineos won praise from Eurosport cycling expert Tom Owen for playing a key role in an exciting day of racing.

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