Furious Giulio Ciccone questions European Championships photo-finish loss to Remco Evenepoel - Italian wants to see photo "on the real finish line"
Cycling
A furious Giulio Ciccone has questioned the validity of the European Championships elite men's race photo finish that saw him beaten by milimetres as Remco Evenepoel took victory on Sunday. Taking to Instagram, the Italian claimed that he wanted to see the "photo finish on the real finish line".
In a passionate post to social media, the Lidl-Trek rider appeared to question the decision from the photo finish, that awarded Evenepoel the win by win by 0.0028 seconds, claiming that he wants to see the picture from the 'real' finish line.
The duo contested a two-up sprint after leaving the rest of the field on the penultimate lap in Slovenia. With the pair locked in battle heading into the finale, Ciccone had the advantage before a last-minute surge and bike throw from Evenepoel led to him being awarded the win in Sencur.
"I've looked at the available images hundreds of times and, in the filming where the finish line is visible, I keep seeing a dynamic that I cannot reconcile with that verdict," he wrote on Instagram.
While the available photo and line showed the mere milimetres Evenepoel had seemigly won by, Ciccone claimed that he cannot accept the verdict without seeing another photo finish of the finale.
Ciccone says he can't accept the verdict
"If a European title is decided by 2.8 milliseconds of a second, I think it’s legitimate to ask that that very passage can be shown with the same precision with which the result was determined.
"I'm not asking that a television shot will replace photo finish. I'm not questioning the value of Remco nor the amazing race he ran. I am asking a very simple question: see the photo finish on the real finish line."
For photo finishes, race organisers use specialised imagery and software to overlay a vertical line at the front-wheel edge of the leading rider, thus the winner. However, this line may not be the finish line for technical reasons.
Remco Evenepoel won the 2026 Europeans by photo-finish against Giulio Ciccone.
Ciccone praises Evenepoel despite contesting photo finish
"Until that correspondence is shown to me, for me it remains a question to which I have not yet received an answer.
"Remco was the strongest runner yesterday. He ran as a Champion; he could interpret and manage a complex race and offered an extraordinary performance."
Read also
Ciccone and Evenepoel were the two favourites heading into the race, and both made their move on the penultimate ascent of the Mozjanca climb. Although Evenepoel crashed over the top, the pair ultimately went clear from the field on the subsequent descent and remained locked together until the sprint for the line.
The win meant that Evenepoel has now claimed both the road race and time trial crown at the European Championships, World Championships and Olympic Games.
Gavin QuinnCycling Journalist
Gavin Quinn is a cycling journalist and ultra-distance cyclist with a BA in Journalism from Dublin City University. Formerly the Press & Communications Officer for Cycling Ireland, Gavin has worked inside the national team at the World Championships and has reported for the Irish Mirror, Mirror UK, and The42.
His expertise is backed by elite-level access, having interviewed stars like Sam Bennett and Ben Healy, as well as immense personal endurance. In 2025, he completed a 12,000km solo cycle from Ireland to Vietnam, following a 4,600km tour across Europe. From the cobbles of Paris-Roubaix to the gradients of the Tourmalet, Gavin’s writing focuses on the "romance and brutality" of the sport. Having visited 50+ countries, he brings a global, cultural perspective to his coverage of the pro peloton for CyclingUpToDate.
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