The problem is gravel doesn’t have governing body that can ban someone. Individual races would have to do that on a case by case basis. So it’s easy for a bad actor to exploit the gravel’s general "good-vibes-with-less-rules atmosphere" as the sport gets more and more serious and for some, lucrative. Because what race promoter wants to stand up and call BS in what could become a very very public mess? They’re trying to sell good times. The behavior described, if it happened, was a direct rule violation --on-course support of an athlete (by abusing and psyching out an opponent) -- and also, from a morality standpoint, just plain sexist intimidation. The hydration pack issue also sounds like a violation of on course support but that would need investigating. The rule is no riders can be entered to solely benefit a teammate. It doesn’t say teammates can’t draft if they’re all racing. So Danielson would have had to prove that male teammate had intentionally set up that situation and had not been actually competing in good faith himself. Which allegedly wasn’t the case. Really Danielson's only option was to describe what he saw later to race officials and let them look into it. By choosing to abuse and intimidate the opposing female rider instead ,HE broke the rules. The organizers should never have let a coach onto the course, but when they did he should not have acted like a coach.
Seems like the larger races are all about the $ now, which there is nothing inherently wrong with, but they have to stop calling their events grassroots, good times at some point. The first rule gravel worlds list is don't be lame, and I can't imagine anything more lame than 2x doper out there taunting a female cyclist, for what. It's the very worst of cycling.
Race directors need to be willing to enforce their own rules such as no team support cars on the course. Obviously giving a handup of food or water from a team vehicle would get noticed and a complaint raised. But isn’t yelling at the competition from a team car to intimidate competitors a form of support?
You’d think by now that race directors would be wise to these tactics. Team car spotted on the course? All of your riders are disqualified, no debate, disqualified.
