The start of Giro d’Italia 2024 it turned out to be explosive, perhaps even more than expected, above all thanks to the talent and imagination of the phenomenon Tadej Pogacar. The super favorite on the eve of the general classification put on a show in the first three stages, taking the pink jersey after Oropa’s success in the second stage and confirming his clear superiority uphill over the rest of the competition.
However, the Slovenian champion, twice winner of the Tour de France, was also the protagonist of aabsurd story related to clothing which he could pay dearly for. The UCI, before the fourth stage which took place yesterday, would in fact have threatened Pogacar with being liable to disqualification if he had competed in the two-tone uniform (pink jersey and grenade shorts) worn in the third stage.
The shorts in question had been supplied by the organizers of RCS Sport and their clothing supplier, Castelli, to pay homage to the football team of Greater Turin on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the Superga tragedy. The UCI commissioners did not want to make an exception, forcing the UAE Emirates captain to wear his team’s black shorts at the start of the next stage to avoid being ousted from the Corsa Rosa. A real threat, decidedly exaggerated and out of place.
RCS Sport and Castelli had interpreted the regulations differently than the UCI, deeming the use of the two-tone uniform legal, but then the Giro organization preferred to wait for the UCI managers and president David Lappartient to make a definitive decision, allowing the race to take place meanwhile the Slovenian wearing his team’s black shorts.
