“The same thing happened yesterday, but it wasn't caught on camera... We see worse every weekend” - French starlet denied first pro win by controversial jury ruling
Cycling
Noa Isidore had the finish line, the celebration and what looked like the first professional victory of his career. Minutes later, the result was taken away.
The 21-year-old Decathlon CMA CGM Team rider crossed first on Stage 2 of La Route d'Occitanie in Saint-Gaudens, only to be relegated by the commissaires for his movement during the final kilometre. Ronan Auge of Unibet Rose Rockets was awarded the stage win instead, giving him a first professional victory of his own.
For Isidore, it turned a breakthrough sprint into a jury case.
The incident came during Decathlon’s lead-out, with Isidore positioned behind his final two teammates, including Tord Gudmestad, when Lucas Beneteau of St Michel - Preference Home - Auber93 tried to move into the train and take the Norwegian’s wheel.
“It had no impact”
Isidore twice used his elbow and shoulder to protect the position, a move the commissaires judged harshly enough to remove him from first place. Speaking to DirectVelo after the stage, he argued that the images made the incident look worse than it was.
“Live, it can look violent, but in reality he does not move that much. He is not unbalanced and he was not on the verge of falling. There is not much in it,” Isidore said. “It was either that or I had to brake, and I was going to get completely boxed in because it narrowed just after that with the barriers. That is what annoys me a bit about it. I think there is not much in it.”
His frustration was sharpened by the fact Beneteau did not go on to contest the sprint. Isidore also pointed to what he saw as the inconsistency of how these moments are judged, especially when camera angles decide what is and is not reviewed.
“Honestly, we see so many things in the peloton that this does not shock me... I will not name anyone, but a rider told me he had experienced the same thing only yesterday, but it was not caught on camera... The most frustrating thing is that the Auber rider did not even contest the sprint, so it had no impact. We see much worse every weekend.”
Isidore sprints towards the line
No discussion after delayed ruling
Isidore said he had hoped to speak with the president of the jury or the commissaires after the finish, but that conversation never came. The decision took time, and by the point the relegation was confirmed, he chose to leave with his team rather than wait longer.
“They took a long time to make their decision and stayed in their truck... So I eventually left when the decision came through. I was not going to make the whole team wait any longer. We still have another stage to race tomorrow.”
The official result left Auge as the winner, with Isidore removed from the victory he had taken on the road. For Decathlon, it was proof of a sprint train capable of delivering him into winning position. For Isidore, it was the sharpest possible reminder that a first professional win only counts once the commissaires agree.
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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- To Twoje przemyślenia te bla, bla :)
Dariusz08-11-2026 - Uwielbiam patrzeć, jak wyjeżdża na czoło peletonu i zaczyna się rzeź...Dariusz08-11-2026
- Yeah, unreal.
parisbound0008-11-2026 - there needs to be space in life for pointless comments!Ketterechts08-11-2026
- That is a very lazy way of putting it but so far on this website it seems like everyone is happy to look at everything lazily, even things that annoy them intensely. All they want to do is state their feeling and position but ask most to analyse a problem or come up with solutions or improvements and you’re stunned by silence. Nobody even really knows how this all happens. It’s very simple and quick to just say the UCI did it but I bet you they didn’t, I bet you not more than 2 people were involved, more likely just 1. The UCI may be ultimately responsible but it is not their decision, this is about hierarchy, power and delegation. The fact that protest is possible also means it isn’t over and that MORE people could get involved for a thorough review which could throw up anything. It is highly likely it was a sole commissar who decided and has that power in a first round. Therein might lie the problem the UCI has to consider, is it acceptable to give so much authority to one single person when it is quite possible for them to have a natural bias or be too easily susceptible to imposed bias. Who is to say an individual in this position isn’t susceptible to collaboration with outside players with interests in the results, nations, families, teams, betting companies, etc. On the one hand we have sports where these problems have been worked on way more to reduce such problems, on the other hand we have sports with far stricter and more draconian rules not even concerning safety or obstruction that nobody really questions like false starts or stepping out of lane or zones in athletics. If cycling hastowork on itself, it would be good if protagonists (all kinds) would start doing a little more than just moaning over outcomes.Jumpyjohn08-11-2026
- Yes, so why not make comments less pointless?Jumpyjohn08-11-2026
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Rafionain-Glas08-11-2026 - There really was nothing in it. Schreiber was so much faster, and Brand was fighting to stay in the wheel in the sprint. Schreiber did move a bit, but to say she closed the door doesn't make sense because Brand couldn't enter it anyway, abd she wasn't impeded.Rafionain-Glas08-11-2026
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