Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) opted to wear pink shorts to go with his pink Giro d’Italia leader’s jersey during stage 6 after the huge polemica and risk of disqualification for wearing purple shorts in the first week of racing.
On Tuesday the UCI Commissaires warned Pogacar and his UAE Team Emirates squad against wearing the purple shorts as part of a skinsuit provided by leader’s jersey sponsor Castelli, with the Slovenian risking a fine and even disqualification if he had failed to respect the UCI rules.
“I don't know much I can say. The organisers gave us the skinsuit, so I put them on but then we got a call from the UCI saying: 'it's not allowed',” Pogačar revealed to Eurosport on Tuesday.
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The UCI denied that Pogacar risked eventual disqualification, even suggesting the whole issue as a ‘non-event’. However the UCI has still to clarify if Pogacar can race in a two-tone skinsuit, even if points classification leader Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek) is racing in a two-tone cyclamen skinsuit during stage 6.
The UCI did not reply to Cyclingnews when asked for clarity and an explanation.
Cyclingnews understands the problems arose after RCS Sport and Castelli opted to provide two-tone skinsuits to the four classification leaders at the 2024 Giro d’Italia.
RCS Sport opted to combine the purple or ‘granata’ shorts with the pink jersey in homage to the Torino football team, who play in a maroon-coloured jersey. Saturday marked the 75th anniversary of the Superga air disaster, when a plane carrying the legendary Torino team of the time crashed near the city, killing all 31 people onboard.
UCI rules apparently allow the two-tone design but the UCI were not consulted about the idea. UCI race officials then decided that the two-tone pink and purple combination was not allowed, and so Pogacar opted not to challenge the decision or risk a penalty or disqualification.
On Tuesday Pogacar raced in separate black shorts and a pink jersey. On Wednesday he went for pink on pink, combining pink shorts with a pink jersey. He jokingly compared himself to the Pink Panther on Instagram.
The problems have sparked amusement on social media but will become serious on Friday for the key time trial stage to Perugia.
If Pogacar is the Giro d’Italia race leader, he is obliged to race in the skinsuit provided by race organisers RCS - and its clothing sponsor Castelli - rather than his team issue made-to-measure skinsuit made by Pissei.
Pogacar, UAE Team Emirates, RCS Sport and Castelli are waiting for the UCI to provide a final, decisive interpretation of their own rules for the time trial.
It appears that the UCI may back down and allow a two-tone pink skinsuit after all.
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