Viviani leads Gaviria across the line(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Elia Viviani (Deceuninck-Quick Step) not in the best mood after his relegation(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Elia Viviani (Deceuninck-Quick Step) was a contender for the stage win in Orbetello(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Italian champion Elia Viviani (Deceuninck-Quick Step) has been denied his first stage win of the Giro d'Italia after officials relegated him to last place in the bunch for deviating from his line in the stage 3 sprint to Orbetello.
Viviani dove across the road from right to left after being led out by Fabio Sabatini and surfing points leader Pascal Ackermann's (Bora-Hansgrohe) wheel. He passed Ackermann and held off the fast-finishing duo of Fernando Gaviria (UAE Team Emirates) and Arnaud Démare (Groupama-FDJ) to cross the line first.
The jury's decision elevates Gaviria to stage winner and sees him take the lead in the points classification, but had no effect on the overall classification, still held by prologue winner Primož Roglič (Jumbo-Visma).
Later on in the evening, Deceuninck-Quick Step directeur sportif Rick Van Slycke said that the race organisers should start by looking at the course, which on stage 3 included a chicane in the final 500 metres, before scrutinising rider's sprints. "If they want trouble, they have trouble with finishes like this," he said, also claiming that Viviani hadn't seen Moschetti.
Through a Deceuninck-Quick Step press release, Viviani expressed his disappointment with the jury's decision, also thanking his team and saying that he's now focused on future sprint opportunities.
"I am completely disappointed by this decision," he said. "Yesterday I made a mistake in the final and today was focused on doing my best. As you could see all the other sprinters crossed the line behind me.
"The team did an amazing job and I am extremely proud of them. There was a strong headwind, so that’s why I started my sprint late. I was really happy to have taken the win, but then this decision came and all I can do now is focus on the next sprint I and take this jersey to the top of a stage classification"
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Viviani also took to Twitter, posting a photo of himself crossing the line and adding "At least I have the [victory] picture... head up for the next opportunities."
