{"id":917125,"date":"2026-10-05T15:40:13","date_gmt":"2026-10-05T15:40:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/917125\/"},"modified":"2026-10-05T15:40:13","modified_gmt":"2026-10-05T15:40:13","slug":"giulio-ciccone-casts-doubt-on-loss-to-evenepoel-in-photo-finish","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/917125\/","title":{"rendered":"Giulio Ciccone casts doubt on loss to Evenepoel in photo finish"},"content":{"rendered":"

Giulio Ciccone<\/a> issued a statement the day after the European Cycling Championships<\/a> in Slovenia. The Italian was beaten by Remco Evenepoel and showed himself to be a gracious loser<\/a> immediately after the race. However, one day later he cast doubt on the photo-finish decision.Ciccone looked set to win the European Championship on Sunday, but saw Evenepoel pull even with him in the final meters. A photo finish ultimately declared Evenepoel the winner.<\/a>Ciccone congratulates Evenepoel: ‘he raced like a champion’ \u201cI saw the first one, and it wasn\u2019t really clear. And then I saw the second one, and that one was clear,\u201d Ciccone said immediately after the race.On Monday, Ciccone issued a public statement<\/a> with a different tone. \u201cIt\u2019s hard to put my emotions in order after yesterday\u2019s race. But I want to start with something that is indisputable to me: Remco was the strongest rider yesterday.”<\/p>\n

“He raced like a champion, he knew how to interpret and manage a complex race, and he delivered an extraordinary performance.\u201d<\/p>\n

Read more below the photo!<\/p>\n

\"giulio-ciccone\"\/<\/p>\n

Giulio Ciccone after the European Championships.<\/p>\n

Ciccone calls for clarity after European \u00a0Championships<\/p>\n

“We, as Italy, tried everything to challenge him. My respect for him is immense and has never been in doubt,” Ciccone wants to make clear.<\/p>\n

Even in the final, I raced based on the tactical situation. Scaroni, my teammate on the national team, was hot on my heels, about 30 seconds behind me\u2014at least according to the information I was getting from the scoreboards.\u201d<\/p>\n

“It was a tactical decision, in line with my role,” said Ciccone, before changing the subject. “And then came the photo finish. The title was awarded by a margin of 0.0028 seconds, or 2.8 thousandths.”<\/p>\n

Ciccone cannot come to terms with the result\u00a0<\/p>\n

“I\u2019ve watched the available footage hundreds of times, and in the shots where the finish line is visible, I keep seeing a dynamic that I can\u2019t reconcile with that result.\u201d<\/p>\n

“This morning [Monday], the stewards, together with the federal technicians, explained to me how the photo finish works and what criteria are used to interpret it,” he explains.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo I\u2019m not asking for another explanation. I\u2019m asking to see the photo finish, which corresponds exactly to the actual finish line.\u201d<\/p>\n

Read more below the photo!<\/p>\n

\"evenepoel-ciccone-fotofinish\"\/<\/p>\n

Ciccone and Evenepoel.<\/p>\n

Ciccone is asking for just one thing: a clear photo of the finish line<\/p>\n

“I want to see, without a doubt, our bikes crossing the exact point where, according to the rules, the finish line has been established,” said Ciccone. \u201cBecause if a European title is decided by 2.8 thousandths of a second, I think it\u2019s reasonable to ask that the moment we cross the line be shown with the same precision used to determine the result.\u201d<\/p>\n

“I’m not asking for a TV broadcast to replace the photo finish, and I’m not questioning Remco’s achievements or the extraordinary race he drove,” Ciccone reiterates.<\/p>\n

“I’m asking for something very simple: to see the photo finish at the actual finish line. If those images confirm the results, there’s nothing more to say. But until I’m shown that confirmation, it remains a question for which I haven’t yet received an answer,” he concludes.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n