(Reuters) – Thirty one riders have been disqualified from the under Under-23 Giro d’Italia for cheating after videos emerged showing them holding on to team cars.
The so-called ‘Baby Giro’ descended into farce as the riders were filmed by spectators taking a tow by team vehicles during the summit finish on the infamous Passo dello Stelvio.
Initially 24 riders were thrown off the race but the number eventually climbed to 31, affecting 15 teams.
Italian squad ASD GC Sissio were worst hit with four of its riders being disqualified, leaving only one remaining.
Two other Italian teams, Ciclista Rostese and Techniques #inEmiliaRomagna had three riders each removed.
Belgium’s Under 23 Paris-Roubaix winner Tijl De Decker was one of the highest-profile riders disqualified.
His Lotto-Dstny team said before stage five: “Tijl De Decker won’t start today. Well, due to a youthful sin he won’t be committing again.”
Even in the senior Tours, riders occasionally gain a little assistance when taking water bottles from their team cars, with what is known in the sport as the ‘sticky bottle’ technique.
(Reporting by Martyn Herman; Editing by Toby Chopra)
