European Cyclocross Championships: Out of the dream!

All these emotions," is the caption under the most recent post on Marie Schreiber's Instagram channel. And: "The greatest moment of my career." One of the two pictures shows the cyclist from Luxembourg's emotional outburst after she crossed the finish line first at the European Cyclocross Championships. In the other, she is seen lying exhausted but happy on the autumn leaves next to the track in Zeddam, Netherlands.

However, Marie Schreiber is not European champion. World champion Lucinda Brand from the Netherlands was crowned winner. The jury recognized an irregularity when the two sprinted. Schreiber is said to have obstructed Brand. The result was corrected, the Dutchwoman received the European champion jersey and Schreiber had to settle for the silver medal. But the 24-year-old, who was superior to all her competitors, especially on the stretches over a long staircase, skipped the award ceremony. Only two professionals could be seen in the official winning photos.

The EM had a scandal with it. It was her trainer who advised her to boycott the award ceremony in protest, Schreiber later said in the mixed zone. Everyone should know what happened to her. “It is disrespectful to rob me of the most beautiful moment of my career,” said Schreiber later in an interview on the Belgian television station RTBF. "I wanted to be on the podium, but after what they did to me, I decided not to. They treated me unfairly."

The jury made the decision to move Schreiber back to second place on their own initiative. There was no protest from Brand or the Dutch team. Brand himself told her that there was nothing wrong with her sprint, said Schreiber. Nothing helps. The jury was of the opinion that Schreiber had left the line and thus hindered her competitor in the sprint. In fact, she had shifted gears again during the sprint and steered slightly to the left.

Enough for a relegation to second place? If the women's European Championship race were to become the benchmark for jury decisions, the classification would have to be rearranged for almost every finish sprint. Not even the slightest accidental swerve would be allowed. Marie Schreiber's opinion is clear. Cycling federations constantly talk about clean and fair sport, she said, asking: “And this is what they do?”

Marie Schreiber was also so shocked by the jury's decision because she arrived at the race in top form. Before the European Championships, she had competed in seven cyclocross races this season. She won five of them. Her sixth victory has now been taken away from her.

And now a jury decision awaits them. The European Cycling Federation (UEC) will probably fine Schreiber because she boycotted the awards ceremony. “I will accept that too,” said Schreiber. In the end, after a really strong race, she will officially go down in the history of this European Championship as a bad loser.

After all, the hearts of the fans belong to her. Maybe she should read the comments on her Instagram post a few more times in the next few days. For her fans she is the European champion. Of course, her Dutch teammate in the SD-Worx racing team is one of them. The comment of the best sprinter in the professional circuit: "Champion! There's more to come."