Toronto’s Ashlin Barry, riding for USA Cycling, finished 9th at the junior world time trial championships after missing his start. The 16-year-old, one of the top riders in his category, arrived at the start house ready to go, but at the last minute, a UCI commissaire noted that he had forgotten to measure his sock length. Although those at the race reported that Barry’s socks had been measured beforehand and were thought to be legal, he was forced to lower them.
Toronto’s Ashlin Barry is junior American national road champion
This last-minute check by the commissaire resulted in him starting 10 to 20 seconds late. France’s Paul Seixas won the race, finishing 41 seconds ahead of Barry. Based on estimates, Barry may have finished in the top five without the delay. Canada’s Adam Smith finished 30th. Mikael Guilbault came in 47th.
Annemiek van Vleuten had similar problems in 2022 after winning her second elite women’s rainbow jersey at Wollongong, Australia, despite competing with a fractured elbow from a previous crash. Complications arose when the UCI jury deemed her skinsuit “too orange,” requiring her to wear a jersey over it, resulting in a 500 Swiss franc fine. After winning the race by attacking from behind, she was fined an additional 200 francs for her socks being too long, totaling 700 francs in penalties. The UCI’s sock regulations, aimed at preventing aerodynamic advantages, have sparked controversy since their introduction in 2019. While her fines were significant, disqualification for such an infraction would have been seen as excessive.
The Toronto native already has a medal from the track worlds. He finished second in a very close omnium race. The junior men are set to compete in the road race on Friday.
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