Women's Giro d'Italia - Bike too light: Sprint winner Wiebes excluded from Giro

Weighed and found to be too light: Because sprint winner Lorena Wiebes' bike did not weigh the required 6.8 kilograms, the Dutchwoman was disqualified from the women's Giro d'Italia. As the organisers announced, the winner of the opening stage was also excluded from the race. The reason given was "the use of a bike that did not comply with the regulations, specifically by not complying with the minimum weight requirements".

Wiebes' racing team SD Worx reacted indignantly to the disqualification. They consider "the disqualification of Wiebes to be an extremely harsh punishment". According to the jury, the 27-year-old's bike weighed 6.78 kg instead of 6.8 kg. There was no explanation as to why the bike had not passed the weight check, the racing team announced. After all, Wiebes had ridden the bike in the same configuration several times during the current season and had won victories with it.

Outrage among the team

"In each case, the weight of the bike was found to be well over the limit of 6.8 kilograms. The team therefore does not understand how it can be that the same bike is now under the weight limit," SD Worx announced. And further: "The team is questioning the weight controls of the bikes in the women's Giro d'Italia."

Wiebes had won the opening stage of the Giro on Saturday over 139 kilometres from Cesenatico to Ravenna in a superior sprint. After her disqualification, the Italian Elisa Balsomo was declared the winner, who started the second stage in the leader's pink jersey. The nine-day Tour of Italy ends on 7 June in Saluzzo.

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