Giulio Ciccone isn’t having it; Jannik Sinner’s friend snaps: “Let me see it”
Giulio Ciccone isn’t having it. In a lengthy Instagram post, the cyclist from Abruzzo revisited the verdict of the European Championships in Slovenia, where he won the silver medal behind Remco Evenepoel, who won in a photo finish by a mere 3 millimeters. A result that left the Italian rider with more than a few doubts; he wanted to share his perspective and revisit those frantic moments that cost him the European title: “It’s hard to sort through my emotions after yesterday’s race. But I want to start with one thing that, for me, is beyond question. Remco was the strongest rider yesterday. He raced like a champion, knew how to read and manage a complex race, and delivered an extraordinary performance.”
“We, as a team, tried everything we could to challenge him. My respect for him is immense and has never been in question.
Even in the final stretch, I raced according to the tactical situation. Scaroni, my teammate on the national team, was in pursuit about 30 seconds behind—at least according to the information I was receiving from the scoreboards. At that moment, I couldn’t bring myself to lead out against a teammate.
It was a racing decision, consistent with the role I was playing. Then there was the photo finish. The title was awarded by a margin of 0.0028 seconds—that is, 2.8 thousandths.”
“I’ve reviewed the available footage hundreds of times, and in the shots where the finish line is visible, I keep seeing a sequence of events that I can’t reconcile with that verdict. This morning, the race officials, along with the federation’s technical staff, explained to me how the photo finish works and the criteria used to interpret it. So I’m not asking for another explanation. I’m asking to see the photo finish that corresponds exactly to the actual finish line.”
“I’d like to be able to see, unequivocally, our two bikes crossing the precise point where, according to the rules, the finish is determined. Because if a European title is decided by 2.8 thousandths of a second, I believe it’s legitimate to ask that precisely that moment be shown with the same precision with which the result was determined. I’m not asking for a television broadcast to replace the photo finish. I’m not questioning Remco’s merit or the extraordinary race he ran. I’m asking for something very simple: to see the photo finish at the actual finish line. If that image confirms the verdict, there will be nothing more to say. But until that confirmation is shown to me, for me it remains a question to which I have not yet received an answer,” concluded Jannik Sinner’s close friend and neighbor in Monte Carlo.
