“If This Is a Disqualification, Change Cycling”: Modolo Defends Christen After Van Gils Crash

​The fallout from Clasica Jaen continues as former Giro d’Italia stage winner Sacha Modolo has publicly defended Jan Christen following the Swiss rider’s disqualification in the sprint for third place, a decision that reshaped the podium and left Maxim Van Gils seriously injured.

​Christen was sanctioned after deviating across the road in the final sprint, sending Van Gils into the barriers. Race officials deemed the move severe enough to warrant disqualification, promoting Benoit Cosnefroy onto the podium and igniting intense debate over sprint dynamics and rider responsibility.

​As criticism mounted online, Modolo took to Instagram Stories to question the ruling. “Help me understand whether I’m getting old or I just don’t understand anymore,” he wrote. According to Modolo, Christen moved left to follow the slipstream of a rider who had started wide, not to deliberately close the door. He argued that the rider behind should have anticipated the natural sprint trajectory toward the barriers.

​The incident has once again placed sprint regulations under scrutiny, with riders and fans divided over how strictly deviations should be judged in high speed finishes. While safety remains the priority, critics argue that overly rigid interpretations risk rewriting the unwritten rules that have long governed bunch sprints.