The abolition of the mountain bike five-man podium still hurts the athletes. Lars Forster and Nino Schurter demonstrated one possible way of dealing with this in Brazil: With a sporting interlude, they placed themselves next to the top three finishers - and collected a fine from the UCI for it. 

Despite this provocation, the world governing body subsequently made a compromise possible. For the photo at the end of the podium ceremony, when the TV pictures are in the can, the fourth and fifth place finishers are allowed on stage for a short time.

The athletes are not happy with this solution. Scott-Sram team owner Thomas Frischknecht says: "It's a small success, but the riders are not satisfied with it. It's still upsetting for them."

Alessandra Keller is even harsher on the UCI: "This is not a compromise solution, it's an immobilization." It's no longer about the top 5 on the podium, but about a discussion between the riders and the UCI.

It's about more than the podium

The UCI will no longer change the podium rule, Frischknecht is convinced. On the one hand, because it can only change its regulations once a year. "And it cannot be assumed that it will immediately repeal a rule that it has introduced. The athletes can protest as much as they like."

For Alessandra Keller, however, there is something more important at stake than TV presence for top 5 riders: "We want to achieve an increase in prize money in a discussion. But we have to come together first." If the riders are already biting at the heels of the five-rider podium, which is free of charge for the UCI, a pay rise is likely to be even harder to achieve.