The organizers of the Amstel Gold Race are hoping to upgrade their equipment and set-up to avoid a repeat of the photo finish controversies of the past two years.

In the past two Dutch Classics, the top two finishers were indistinguishable to the naked eye and the photo finish images were unclear, causing confusion and even questioning the authenticity of the results.

Last year, Benoit Kosnefrova was announced as the winner, but after the judges checked the cameras at the finish line, the winner was Michal Kwiatkowski.

The 2021 race was even more controversial, with Tom Pidcock issuing a suggestion (albeit a mild one) that he was in fact the winner, despite the fact that the official record names Wout Van Art. [Race director Leo van Fleet told the Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf (opens in new tab). 'But now it's over.'

That's because the photo finish setup, which was scrutinized for straightness of the finish line, gantry, and positioning with the finish camera, was scrapped and replaced with new equipment.

"That is why we are working with the company that will judge the winners of the Tour de France.

However, this exact detail appears to be incorrect, as the organizer of the Tour de France, ASO, uses Tissot Timing. On the other hand, the Amstel Gold Race is listed as covered by Matsport, which was used by the Tour de France before Tissot took over in 2016.

Matzport will provide all timekeeping related to the race results and will use the high precision cameras and equipment of another supplier, FinishLnyx, to set up the photo finish.

"We've tightened up our protocols," said Mr. Baker.

"This is also true in the case of a major accident: first something unlikely happens, then everything has to be better agreed upon."

While the photo finish in Pidcock v. VanArt still sparks controversy over who won the race, last year's result was more widely accepted after the fact. The problem is that the wrong rider was declared the winner before the photo finish was properly analyzed.

"In similar cases, juries do not declare a winner until they are 100% sure.

"And "TV" stays off the jury car for a while so they don't call the wrong name.

"Although the likelihood of lightning strikes is very low, the organizers don't care if lightning strikes.

"Somehow I hope something this exciting happens again.