LJUBLJANA : Italian cyclist Giulio Ciccone has called for greater clarity over the photo-finish verdict that handed Remco Evenepoel victory in the European Championships road race in Slovenia on Sunday.
Ciccone overtook Evenepoel with only a few hundred metres remaining and appeared on course for the title before the Belgian caught him, with the pair crossing the finish line wheel-to-wheel.
“The title was decided by a margin of 0.0028 seconds, which is 2.8 thousandths of a second,” Ciccone wrote on social media on Monday.
“I’ve watched the available footage hundreds of times and, in the shots where the finish line is visible, I keep seeing something I can’t square with that verdict.”
The European Cycling Union, which organises the European Road Cycling Championships, did not immediately respond to a request for comment outside regular business hours in Switzerland.
Ciccone, 31, said officials and technical staff from his federation had already explained to him the criteria used to determine photo-finish results.
“I’m not asking for another explanation,” he said.
“I’m asking to see the photo finish that matches the actual finish line exactly. I’d like to see, clearly and beyond doubt, our two wheels crossing at the exact point where the regulations say the finish is determined.”
The Lidl-Trek rider also praised Evenepoel’s performance, saying the Belgian had raced “like a champion”.
“My respect for him is enormous and has never been in question,” Ciccone added.
