Marianne Vos did something very clever to make sure she never does puppy paws again
The Dutchwoman has a novel way to keep her hands in the right place
Marianne Vos is definitely learning from her mistakes. On Sunday, the Jumbo-Visma rider won the Postnord Vårgårda WestSweden road race, but only 30 minutes later was disqualified for using an illegal hand position.
After the race, UCI commissaires were shown footage of her riding with her forearms on her bars. It’s a position that simulates being on your aero bars, and has come to be known “puppy paws,” (cute right?)
Many pros used it when they got into breakaways, but April 2021 the UCI banned it, citing safety concerns. The UCI worried that riders had their hands dangling on the bars they could put themselves in peril if they went over a rough patch of road, and end up going head over heels.
Well, you can bet your bottom guilder this won’t ever happen to Vos again. She put on two stickers on her bars, with the Dutch words, “Niet liggen” which translates to “don’t lie down.” So if she ever gets the urge to puppy paw it, those two little stickers may save her the wrath of the UCI.
Marianne's "String on the Finger" moment before stage 1 as she tapes a reminder on the top of her handlebars "Niet Liggen" meaning "can't lie down". The flat bars give a platform for resting, it is verboten.@marianne_vos @JumboVismaWomen #tourofscandinavia #TOSC22
? @anton_vos pic.twitter.com/1whvFsFpJS— Phillip Martindale (@phillipm61) August 10, 2022
