Kristen Faulkner Disqualified From Strade Bianche After Finishing Third
Kristen Faulkner was a beast in this year’s Strade Bianche. In an epic solo breakaway, Faulkner led the race until almost the very end, when the two-woman SD Worx machine known as Demi Vollering and Lotte Kopecky overtook her on the last climb into Piazza del Campo in Siena, Italy less than two weeks ago.
We could see Faulkner cracking on that climb. Depending on who you ask, she either started paperboying it or made one last ditch effort to play defense by blocking Vollering’s path.
When Faulkner crossed the line, battered and literally bleeding from an earlier crash, no one thought that her podium spot was undeserved.
Until the UCI became aware of something else we all saw, that is.
Why was Kristen Faulkner DQ’d?
Anyone watching the race would have noticed the circular protrusion on Faulkner's upper arm, clearly visible under her jersey sleeve. And anyone who’s even seen a TV commercial for the device would be able to recognize how much the disc-shaped object resembles a Supersapiens “energy management system,” which is marketing-speak for a continuous glucose monitor.
And according to the UCI rules, wearing one during a race is a big no-no.
“The UCI has been made aware that Kristen Faulkner appears to have been wearing a continuous blood glucose monitor during the Italian UCI Women’s WorldTour event Strade Bianche,” a UCI spokesperson announced earlier this week according to Cycling Weekly.
While continuous glucose monitors are becoming increasingly popular among professional and amateur athletes alike, the UCI currently has a ban on using them during competition.
Why? Because even though GCM’s were initially developed for the diabetic population to monitor blood sugar, athletes use them to dial in exactly when they need to fuel. During a competition, that kind of information could prove to be a competitive advantage.
Faulkner’s team, Jayco-Alula, have yet to release a statement, nor has Faulkner herself. The UCI will not be levying further punishments or fines in this instance; losing a podium spot during a career-highlight of a race was deemed bad enough.
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