Lorena Wiebes disqualified from Giro d’Italia Women as SD Worx questions bike weight check

The Dutch champion, riding for Team SD Worx Protime, had produced a dominant sprint victory on the first day of the race, beating Elisa Balsamo by several bike lengths to claim both the stage win and the overall lead. By Saturday evening, however, her result had been struck from the record.

Race officials ruled that Wiebes’ bike did not comply with UCI regulations after a post stage inspection. According to the commissaires’ panel, the bike weighed 6.78 kilograms, falling just below the UCI’s minimum weight limit of 6.8 kilograms under Article 2.12.007 2.2.

The decision carries the maximum sporting consequence for Wiebes. She loses the stage victory, the leader’s jersey and her place in the race, meaning she will not be permitted to start Sunday’s second stage.

Balsamo, who originally finished second in Ravenna, has been promoted to stage winner and takes over the maglia rosa.

Team SD Worx-Protime responded strongly to the ruling, saying it was “astonished” by the decision and questioning the weighing procedure used after the finish. The team said there had been a difference of more than 50 grams between the first and second measurements of Wiebes’ bike.

In its statement, the team said Wiebes had used the same bike, with the same set up, several times this season, including in previous sprint victories. The team added that the bike had been checked by UCI officials earlier in the year and had, on those occasions, been found to be comfortably above the 6.8 kilogram limit.

The team also argued that the sanction was exceptionally severe, pointing out that the incident occurred after a flat sprint stage rather than a mountain stage, where a small weight difference could carry greater sporting significance. SD Worx-Protime said it had no explanation for why the bike was measured below the limit in Ravenna.