This Sunday's race ended in a sprint, an incredibly tight one between Ewan and Thijssen. The Australian was already in the same situation only a few weeks ago when
he and Tim Merlier battled on the opening day of the UAE Tour. Eventually after several minutes of analysis, Intermarché's Belgian sprinter was awarded the win officially.
"Our directeur sportif, Nikolas Maes, was with the race directors for about an hour after the race, where it was impossible for them to provide the actual proof, other than the picture that I think everyone has seen on social media, where it's very blurry and you cannot really decide who wins the race," he continued.
Then,
Caleb Ewan himself took to social media, sharing pictures which seemed to show the Australian crossing the line first. Adding insult to the injury, the photo-finish that was used was also revealed, displaying large inaccuracy. The
race organizers have since explained the photo-finish's responsibility is of the Belgian Cycling Federation and the UCI. Hence, Lotto Dstny have filed a complaint.
"For us it's also a matter of trust in cycling. For us it [the result] doesn't really matter. We would prefer to have a clear picture where it's Gerben Thijssen who wins, because then at least it's clear. For the moment, it's not clear and we feel that if they decide to give the win to him, at least they should be able to prove this," the spokesperson concluded.