Ciccone win put in the shade over sunglasses celebration fine

MILAN - Italian rider Giulio Ciccone claimed his first stage win in almost two years at the Tour of the Alps but may consider changing his signature celebration after receiving a fine for throwing his sunglasses into the crowd.

Ciccone (Lidl-Trek) sprinted to victory in the April 21 opening stage and, overjoyed at his first success since 2023, launched his sunglasses as he crossed the finishing line in San Lorenzo Dorsino.

He has previously celebrated in a similar manner when winning stages, including at the Giro dItalia, but this is the first time he has been punished by the rule introduced in 2021 over disposing of objects in a careless or dangerous manner.

For me, it was something, I dont want to say ridiculous, but I accept the fine, Ciccone told reporters on April 22 before stage two.

In the end, its hard to say something because the rules always change every year, so my mistake was to not study the rules and now I know.

Ciccones enthusiasm cost him 250 Swiss Francs (S$400) and 15 UCI ranking points, but he was not completely convinced about changing his style when asked if he would use the same celebration if he won stage two.

Its really hard to say because its always strange to receive a fine when you win the race, Ciccone said. I dont agree honestly but its like this, we can do nothing.

In the end, Ciccone came home fifth in the second stage and is third in the general classification. The five-stage race concludes on April 25.

Cycling celebrations were also hit by governing body the UCI toughening up its rules for the sprint zone earlier this year, outlawing riders celebrating in the bunch when a teammate wins a sprint finish. REUTERS