“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

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.

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 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.