2023-05-13 09:33:56
Remco Evenepoel and some of his teammates used a helicopter to return to their hotel following the 7th stage of the Giro on Friday. For the UCI, this is a breach of sporting fairness.
Not much happened on Friday. upon arrival at Gran Sasso d’Italia, where the headwind prevented the Giro favorites from explaining themselves during this first big mountain stage. But this day ended in a controversy when Remco Evenepoel, the favorite of the event, climbed into a helicopter with some of his teammates to return to their hotel located below, 26 kilometers away. Most of the runners covered this important distance by car, when some even had to take a cable car with the public.
Yesterday, at the end of the finish in Gran Sasso d’Italia, runners found themselves in the opposite direction in the gondolas (in the company of the public) to join their bus lower down, sometimes with their bikes in the absence space in cars. #Giro pic.twitter.com/5kvXXrqXKx
— Le Gruppetto (@LeGruppetto) May 13, 2023
For this arrival at 2180 meters above sea level, the organizers of the Giro had provided helicopters for the runners… provided that their team agreed to pay the costs. The Soudal-Quick Step took out the checkbook for its leader, but most of the other formations might not do so. And it’s a problem that makes people cringe even in Belgium, in the country of Evenepoel. “It’s not fair from the moment you have to pay. From the moment when it is the organizer who organizes this and sets a price that everyone cannot pay, it is not fair”, regretted Gérard Bulens, the RTBF consultant.
The flight NA Campo Imperatore made the biggest impression. ???? World champion swept in a record time of 2’20”. @EvenepoelRemco from the historic hotel to the waiting helicopter. Arranged by RCS, paid for by the Wolfpack. Every second of extra rest counts! @Tour of Italy @sporza pic.twitter.com/JYzzcE0Zw2
— Renaat Schotte (@wielerman) May 13, 2023
The UCI reacted this Saturday morning. “The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) notes that helicopter transport was used by some riders to leave the finish area following the end of the 7th stage of the Giro d’Italia, between Capua and Gran Sasso d’Italia, deplores the international body in a press release. This constitutes an advantage which goes once morest the principles of fair play and the regulatory provisions guaranteeing equal treatment for the transfer of teams to their hotels. In addition, the use by some riders of helicopter transport for this purpose goes once morest the principle of reducing the carbon footprint as set out in the specifications of the organizer of the UCI WorldTour. . »
Breach of equity denounced by the UCI
Regarding the breach of equity vis-à-vis the hotels, it should be remembered that, on the major tours, all the teams are housed in the same boat. The organizers and the UCI ensure that no team, over time, benefits from better conditions than another. Concretely, the richest formations are not entitled to palaces while the teams with the more limited budget meet at the hotel on the corner. The accommodations are allocated by the organization, which tries to do the best according to the hotel offer in each region. If a team is treated better than another on a stage (comfort of the hotel, distance from the arrival in the evening or the departure the next day, etc.), it will theoretically be worse off the next day.
In this specific case, it is therefore not normal that a team with a larger budget might pay for its rider to return to his hotel more quickly than his competitors, with all the advantages that this provides in terms of recovery. “The UCI will take the necessary measures and sanctions to ensure that such a practice does not happen once more in the future, announces the international body. The UCI strongly condemns this behavior which goes once morest the principles of fair play and equity, fundamental values of sport. »
Evenepoel is unlikely to be sanctioned. It is undoubtedly the organization, for having made this helicopter trip possible, which will be slapped on the wrist.
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#Evenepoel #big #scandal #Giro
