Tremendous 60 km solo escape, victory and disqualified for the handlebars

Last weekend, the Polese Memorial took place, an Italian race held near Treviso, covering 168 km, where national cyclist Filippo D’Aiuto was the absolute protagonist. First, he won the race after an incredible solo breakaway of 60 km following a fall, and second, he was disqualified because the measurements of his handlebars did not meet the regulations.

The UCI disqualifies D’Aiuto after winning solo for violating the new handlebar rule

What seemed like a prestigious victory in the domestic calendar turned into disbelief and frustration. After crossing the finish line, the officials measured his bike and determined that the distance between the brake levers did not comply with the minimum set by the newly implemented regulations.

We remind you that, according to the new regulations, the handlebars, measured between their widest ends, cannot be less than 400 mm wide. A measurement taken between both levers cannot be less than 320 mm.

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The organization justified these changes for safety reasons, aiming to limit configurations considered “extreme.” However, the measure has generated criticism among riders, technicians, and biomechanics specialists, who question its impact on shorter cyclists and the women’s peloton, where narrower handlebars are traditionally used, adjusted through positioning studies.

The General Store-Essegibi-F.lli Curia team defended that the Cervélo used by D’Aiuto complied with the regulations at the start. According to their version, the fall prior to his final attack caused one of the levers to shift inward, reducing the distance between them below the allowed limit.

D’Aiuto himself expressed his anger after learning of the decision. He stated that he had suffered a fall and that the levers twisted inward, which is why he was stripped of his victory. He also explained that, with barely a minute lead during his attack, stopping to readjust the handlebars, as suggested by the officials, was unfeasible in competitive terms.

After the disqualification, the victory was awarded to Lorenzo Magli, who finished second. However, during the ceremony, both Magli and Davide Boscaro decided to leave the top step of the podium empty in a sign of respect towards D’Aiuto, whom they considered the true sports winner of the event.

Magli stated that he did not feel like the true winner and that the gesture was the least he could do after seeing how his compatriot waited more than an hour for the final decision before losing the victory.

D’Aiuto’s team stated that they respect the jury's verdict, although they consider it highly debatable, and publicly thanked the gesture of solidarity from the other teams present on the podium.

The regulation regarding handlebar width had already generated controversy before this episode. More than 7,000 people signed a petition requesting its review, arguing that a uniform policy does not take into account the morphological diversity of cyclists.