Is it a cliche at this point to say: the saga of Iljo Keisse continues? The case that was already an incredible story of back and forth months ago, took yet another turn for the bizarre yesterday in Manchester, England, when the cleared rider (at least until his April court date) was not allowed to start the Revolution 31 track meeting.
The UCI contacted the organizers of the Revolution and informed them that Keisse was not allowed to toe the line anywhere else other than in Belgium. The organizer did as he was told, and Keisse was left agape for likely the hundredth time in this truly incredible series of events that began at the end of 2008 when he tested positive for cathine and HCT following victory at the Gent Six.
Keisse, speaking to De Morgen and other Belgian sources, was clearly confused: "The UCI sent a letter to the organizers of the meeting containing a message for me not to be allowed to start on Friday. According to the UCI, my [provisional] acquittal is only valid in Belgium."
Unfortunately for Keisse, he got the news a bit too late on Friday.
"I was informed by the organizers about the letter, so I immediately contacted my lawyer. They tried contacting the UCI, but the offices were already closed. There organizers clearly had a fear of sanctioning from the UCI and refused to let me start."
The soon to be 28 year old recently took victory at home in the Gent Six following a late ruling that allowed him to return to racing. The ruling was not just for Belgium though, which Keisse is certainly well aware of.
However, the ruling clearly states that I can race anywhere. Besides, after the Gent Six, I rode in Zürich. There was apparently no problem there."
Of more interest, however, is the court's promise of a fine for anyone that bars Keisse from entry into a race. The judge presiding over his case said that a fine of 100,000 euros would be levied against anyone who refused the QuickStep rider a start.
"I feel more and more like a doll in a puppet show. The UCI feels powerful and even ignores the verdict of the Courts, despite a fine of 100,000 euros. I will not leave it like this though, despite the fact that everything is over my head. This is once again extremely frustrating."
Speaking to Sporza, Keisse was a bit more fired up: "I'm so tired of this. It's a soap opera that never ends. The UCI apparently believes that they are above the law. It's very frustrating. We'll have to take the matter to court. This case is crystal clear, and 100,000 euros is apparently no problem for the UCI."
It will be interesting to see what happens next between the UCI and Keisse. Is it possible for the UCI to be issued a 100,000 euro fine? It doesn't seem likely, but there has to be another big storm brewing if the UCI is willing to go toe to toe with the judge's decree.
One thing that's certain in this case - this won't be the last we hear of it.