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Team 'astonished' as rider kicked out of Giro d'Italia Women

From ABC Australia · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Outcome reported
  • Lorena Wiebes, winner of the first stage of the Giro d'Italia Women, was disqualified for riding a bike that was underweight.
  • Her team, SD Worx-Protime, expressed astonishment and questioned the accuracy of the weighing procedures, citing previous weigh-ins where her bike met the minimum weight limit.
  • Elisa Balsamo, former world champion, inherited the leader's pink jersey following Wiebes' disqualification.

Dutch cyclist Lorena Wiebes has been disqualified from the Giro d'Italia Women just hours after winning the opening stage, a decision her team has called "astonishing." The 27-year-old rider, who claimed the leader's maglia rosa (pink jersey) in a dominant bunch sprint, was removed from the race for riding a bicycle that failed to meet the minimum weight requirements.

Team SD Worx-Protime is astonished by the decision of the UCI Commissaires' Panel that Lorena Wiebes' bicycle did not comply with the minimum weight limit after the first stage of the Giro d'Italia Women.

โ€” Team SD Worx-ProtimeThe team's official statement expressing shock at the disqualification.

Race organizers stated that Wiebes' bike weighed 200 grams under the UCI World Tour's lower weight limit of 6.8 kilograms. However, Team SD Worx-Protime vehemently contested the ruling, raising "serious questions" about the accuracy and consistency of the bicycle-weighting procedures. The team pointed out a significant weight difference between the first and second weighings of Wiebes' bike after the stage.

The team has serious questions about the bicycle-weighting procedures at the Giro d'Italia Women.

โ€” Team SD Worx-ProtimeThe team's statement questioning the fairness of the weighing process.

According to the team, Wiebes has used the same bicycle setup successfully in multiple races this season, achieving numerous victories. They highlighted that UCI officials had previously weighed this same bicycle after several of her sprint wins, and on each occasion, its weight was found to be comfortably above the 6.8-kilogram limit. The team expressed bewilderment as to how the bicycle could suddenly be measured below the minimum requirement.

For example, there was a weight difference of more than 50 grams between the first and second weighing of Wiebes' bicycle after the finish of the stage in Ravenna.

โ€” Team SD Worx-ProtimeHighlighting inconsistencies in the weighing procedure.

SD Worx-Protime described the "exceptionally severe sanction" as unjustified and stated they have no explanation for the discrepancy. Wiebes, who is also the reigning Dutch national road race champion and world gravel champion, has a strong record in stage races, including five stages at both the Tour de France Femmes and the Giro d'Italia Women. Following her disqualification, former world road champion Elisa Balsamo of Lidlโ€“Trek was awarded the leader's jersey.

Of course, it is not the way I want to win but this is a decision of the jury.

โ€” Elisa BalsamoThe Italian rider's reaction to inheriting the leader's jersey after Wiebes' disqualification.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by ABC Australia. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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