# Commissaire Relegates Marie Schreiber Amidst SD Worx-Protime Controversy Ernesto Maggioni's decision sparks outrage after previous disqualification of teammate Lorena Wiebes. - **Source:** [Cyclingnews](https://www.cyclingnews.com) - **Published:** 2026-11-08 - **Topic:** [sports](https://brifing.si/c/sports) - **Original article:** - **On Brifing:** https://brifing.si/s/eba47f1d-3b83-4cf9-91b5-86a7a627d5ac ## Controversial Race Relegation Marie Schreiber was relegated from first to second place at the UEC European Cyclo-cross Championships this Saturday. Despite crossing the finish line first, officials ruled her sprint maneuver irregular. This decision denied the Luxembourgish rider what would have been the most significant result of her professional cycling career to date. ## Commissaire's Previous Involvement The official responsible for the relegation, Ernesto Maggioni, has a history with the SD Worx-Protime team. Earlier this year, he served as the Technical Commissaire when teammate Lorena Wiebes was disqualified from the Giro d’Italia Women. In that instance, her bike was reportedly found to be twenty grams under the weight limit. ## Team Staff Outrage Sanne Cant, a former World Champion and current coach for the team, publicly criticized the decision as ridiculous. Cant, who secured 126 race wins during her own career, stated she had never witnessed such a penalty. She expressed deep frustration, suggesting that similar maneuvers often occur in road racing without any consequences. ## Disputed Sprint Mechanics Head-on footage confirmed that Schreiber moved to her left during the final sprint. However, the eventual race winner, Lucinda Brand, stated that she was not impeded by this movement. Despite this, Maggioni and the commissaires panel interpreted the action as a serious breach of regulations, justifying the immediate demotion of the rider. ## Questioning UCI Oversight Sanne Cant suggested that the UCI president was involved in the observation of the sprint, though the exact nature of what was seen remains unclear. The team is reportedly planning to challenge the decision, as they feel the penalty was disproportionate to the actual impact of the sprint on the race outcome. ## Equipment Weighing Concerns During the Giro d’Italia incident, SD Worx-Protime staff expressed astonishment regarding the disqualification of Lorena Wiebes. They raised specific concerns about the accuracy of the weighing equipment used by officials at the time. This history of friction between the team and Maggioni adds significant tension to the current European championship dispute. ## Role of Commissaires Panel At the European Cyclo-cross Championships, Ernesto Maggioni is serving as the President of the Commissaires Panel for all events. Reports indicate that he held sole responsibility for the decision to relegate Schreiber. This concentration of authority in the hands of one official has become a focal point for the team's ongoing frustration. ## Future Implications This event highlights the ongoing tension between professional cycling teams and race officials regarding rule interpretation. As the team prepares to contest the ruling, the incident raises broader questions about consistency in officiating. The cycling community will likely watch how the UCI responds to these claims of bias and technical inaccuracy. ## Sources covering this story - https://www.cyclingnews.com/pro-cycling/womens-cycling/commissaire-who-relegated-marie-schreiber-at-the-european-cyclo-cross-championships-has-a-history-with-her-sd-worx-protime-team/ — --- _Summary written by Brifing from the original reporting. Copyright in the original article belongs to its publisher; read the full piece at the link above._