Cyclists were disqualified from race after they were seen allegedly holding onto team vehicles during a climb up the Passo dello Stelvio in Cesano Maderno, Italy.
Under 23. Four team staff members and their team cars were also excluded from the race.
"What we saw was really offensive to those who correctly interpret this sport," Italian Cycling Federation President Cordiano Dagnoni said Thursday."They are images that really hurt."It’s right to apply the rules, and I’m, above all, disappointed by the behavior of the sporting directors in the team cars because they should be the first to teach the youngsters how to respect the rules.
The riders and teams could face further punishment from the federation or even the International Cycling Union. The ASD GC Sissio team had four of its five riders ruled out, while fellow Italian teams Ciclistica Rostese and Technipes lost three riders each."I asked RCS Sport to invite at least half Italian teams," Dagnoni said."At this point, having seen the behavior of our teams and of our cyclists, I no longer feel like recommending they be invited in the future. I will leave RCS Sport free to invite teams at their discretion."Chantz Martin is a sports writer for Fox News Digital.