UCI to investigate Filip Maciejuk after his actions in Tour of Flanders

Filip Maciejuk had his Flanders race cut short after he caused a brutal crash with dozens of riders, some of whom went to hospital. He was promptly disqualified, but he may face further disciplinary action from the UCI.  The international cycling body is investigating the Polish rider’s activity in Belgium.

The Bahrain-Victorious rider was trying to move to the front, using the shoulder to sneak ahead. But little did he know there was a soaked grass section that caused him to lose control and veer into the peloton, taking down a ton of riders. It was clearly unintentional and the rider would later apologize.

Hurts to watch huge crashes likes this, Filip Maciejuk deserves being thrown out of the race. I’d give him a couple of extra weeks out to think about that move and hopefully prevent other young riders doing the same. pic.twitter.com/GvCDiYUsgv

— Mark Renshaw (@Mark_Renshaw) April 2, 2023

According to Sporza, he may face some more sanctions. “His maneuver was absolutely wrong. You can never jeopardize the safety of your fellow riders,” UCI coordinator Peter Van Den Abeele said. “Further measures may definitely follow. He will therefore appear before the disciplinary committee. There is a possible suspension and/or additional fine is then not excluded. We can’t let this pass.”

“We were criticized when we introduced the rule against riding on a footpath, but the consequences were significant for riders like Tim Wellens,” he added. Wellens was seriously injured and had to quit the race. “It is a negative trend and we need to get rid of it. We want to set an example and send a signal to the riders that we are all responsible for safety.”