The Danish Cycling Union (DCU) has reinstated the elite men's time trial title of Alpecin-Deceuninck rider Johan Price-Pejtersen seven months after he was disqualified from the event for riding on the pavement.
25-year-old Price-Pejtersen, then riding for Bahrain Victorious, won the title with a 47:06 time on the 41km course in Herning last June, beating Mattias Skjelmose (Lidl-Trek) to victory by just two seconds.
However, after the race, the former under-23 world time trial champion saw his newly gained title stripped after he was caught racing along the pavement by the road in the late stages of the race.
Price-Pejtersen, who also won European under-23 time trial titles in 2019 and 2021, was stripped of 50 UCI points for winning and handed a fine of 200CHF.
On Tuesday, the DCU announced the reversal of the disqualification, which came after Price-Pejtersen had appealed against the decision.
"The DCU's disciplinary committee has considered the case regarding Johan Price-Pejtersen's disqualification and fine at the Danish Championships time trial and the following ruling is made," read a statement issued by the DCU.
"The case against Johan Price-Pejtersen, where the Danish Cycling Union's Commissioner panel on 21 June 2024 issued an order, ‘DM Communiqué No. 1, time trial', by which Johan Price Peitersen was sentenced to the following sanction: Disqualification, fine CHF 200,- and 50 points from the UCI ranking list’, is set aside and reversed, so that Johan Price Peitersen is only sentenced to a sanction according to the UCI regulations, Article 2.12.07: §7.6 with a fine of CHF 200 and deprivation of 25 UCI points from the UCI ranking list."
In short, Price-Pejtersen has now been handed back his national time trial title, while his UCI points deduction has been reduced to 25 points, and his fine has remained in place.
Following the disqualification last summer, Skjelmose took to Instagram to write that he had "great sympathy" for Price-Pejtersen, noting that he didn't push for the decision – "quite the opposite". He offered the jersey and medal to Price-Pejtersen, who he called a "good friend".
"I would like to express my great sympathy for Johan, who is not only a fantastic time trialist, as we saw yesterday, but whom I consider a good friend in the peloton. I have therefore offered Johan that he can have both the Danish Championship jersey and medals that I was presented with – to recognize his achievement, so that it does not go down in history as a pure annoyance," Skjelmose wrote.
On Tuesday, Skjelmose told Danish news agency Ritzau via text message that he is focussed on the new racing season and had not been involved in Price-Pejtersen's appeal.
"I only know about the new decision via the media, but regardless, I have not been involved in the proceedings since the race, and I will not do so now," he wrote. "I am currently focussed on the season that is about to start and have no further comments on the decision."
According to UCI regulation 2.2.025, "It is strictly prohibited to use sidewalks, paths or cycle paths that do not form part of the course as defined in article 2.2.015, separated by kerbs, verges, level changes or other physical features."
Penalties for infringements (dependant on race level) include a CHF200-1,000 fine plus a deduction of 15-25 UCI points, a yellow card, and a potential time penalty, downgrading of result, or disqualification of the rider's result "in serious cases of advantage, endangerment, repeated infringements or aggravated circumstances."
