It took just one stage for the UCI to award the first yellow card of the 2025 Giro d'Italia, with fourth-place finisher Francesco Busatto (Intermarché-Wanty) punished for an "Irregular sprint" in Tirana, Albania in a day of contrasting emotions for he young Italian.
Busatto risks being disqualified from the Giro and suspended for seven days if he is given a second yellow card under the UCI's new stricter racing rules.
His aggressive actions were characterised as a "blow from the elbow and blow from the head two times during the sprint" in the Giro's official Jury Communique, released after the stage. Busatto fought hard to be up front in the sprint and then to stay on the wheel of Wout van Aert (Visma-Lease a Bike) ahead of the sprint to the line in central Tirana.
"At the top of the climb, I was on the wheel of Van Aert and I knew he would be in the first positions for the sprint," said the white jersey, before it was revealed that he had received a yellow card.
"So I just said 'OK, I will just sit in the wheel of Van Aert until I can't', and I managed to do it until the last corner. Then I just had to sprint as fast as I could, and I got this fourth place."
Busatto was not relegated in the results, so kept hold of his fourth place, and enjoyed a trip to the podium as he took hold of the best young rider's maglia bianca after stage 1.
The young Italian was emotional at the finish as he took in what he had achieved at his first Grand Tour and debut at his home Giro d'Italia, albeit in Albania.
"I knew I had a good level, but it's also new for me," said Busatto, a former Liège-Bastogne-Liège under-23 winner, after the best result of his career so far.
"It's the highest level you can have in the world, so that's really special for me, and also my teammates believed in me, so that's super good."
Busatto will his work cut out to try and retain hold of the white jersey during the stage 2 individual time trial in Alabania's capital city on Saturday.
Other eligible young riders rolling down the start ramp on the same GC time including Antonio Tiberi (Bahrain-Victorious), Juan Ayuso (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) and Mathias Vacek (Lidl-Trek).
"It'll be quite difficult to keep it because im not a specialist for the time trial," admitted Busatto, 22.
"I will go full gas for sure and do the best I can. It will be difficult, of course, so let's just see. I mean, I didn't know I was this good , so maybe it can be the same as stage 1."
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