Lorena Wiebes was expelled from the Giro d'Italia Women on Saturday evening after the jury found her bike failed the minimum weight requirement under article 2.12.007 – 2.2 of the regulations. The Stage 1 result in Ravenna was revised, with Elisa Balsamo (Lidl-Trek) awarded the victory and the first Maglia Rosa of the race.
Wiebes had crossed the finish line first at the end of the 139km opening stage, completed at an average speed of 42.043km/h. The race organiser confirmed that the decision was taken after the finish, describing the infraction as "use of a bicycle not in compliance with the regulations, specifically failing to meet the minimum weight requirements."
The revised podium places Lara Gillespie (UAE Team ADQ) in second and Chiara Consonni (Canyon//SRAM zondacrypto) in third, both on the same time as Balsamo. The general classification heading into Stage 2 reads: Balsamo first, Gillespie at four seconds, Consonni at six.
The organiser's press release offered no detail on the infraction beyond the cited regulation and the minimum-weight breach – though the UCI minimum weight for a bike used in competition is clearly understood to be 6.8 kilograms. It did not disclose the measured weight of the bike, when the check was carried out, or whether Wiebes' team had been given an opportunity to adjust the setup before the ruling. The release stated only that Wiebes was "expelled" from the race, meaning she will not start Stage 2.
Balsamo also leads the points classification by virtue of the revised result, though the Maglia Rossa will be worn by Gillespie on Sunday. Celia Gery (FDJ United – Suez) holds the best young rider's Maglia Bianca.
Stage 2 outlook
Balsamo carries the pink jersey into Sunday's Stage 2 from Roncade to Caorle, a 156km route the organiser describes as "essentially flat" – see full details in our interactive stage guide. The only climb of the day is Ca' del Poggio, positioned around mid-course, before the road descends through Vittorio Veneto toward the coast on wide, straight roads. The final kilometres run through urban streets, with four straights connected by four bends and a 600m finishing straight, a profile that again favours the sprinters.
The disqualification is a rare sanction at the highest level of women's road racing. Minimum bike weight rules exist to prevent frames and components from being built so light that structural integrity is compromised, and checks can be carried out by commissaires before or after stages. Since the advent of disc brakes across pro cycling, bikes raced below the minimum weight have not been commonplace compared to the super light bike era of the early 2010s.
The exact minimum threshold and the process by which Wiebes' bike was flagged have not been made public by the organiser or the jury.
Cover image credit: Marco Alpozzi/LaPresse
