Roberto Ferrari (Androni Giocattoli-Venezuela) was defiant about his role in the finishing straight crash in the Giro d’Italia’s third stage, which brought down World champion Mark Cavendish (Team Sky) and maglia rosa Taylor Phinney. The Italian sprinter swerved violently across the path of Cavendish, who was following the wheel of Tyler Farrar (Garmin-Barracuda), bringing the Manxman crashing down, with a number of riders coming down behind him.
The 29-year-old crossed the line in ninth place, but was later relegated to 192nd - the last rider in the peloton. Ironically, this was still six places ahead of Phinney, as UCI regulations meant that his crossing the finish line by ambulance put him last in the field.
Ferrari might even have finished further up - possibly matching his fifth place in stage two - but for the fact that he had pulled his left foot out of its pedal. It was this fact that he was more concerned with after the stage, according to cicloweb.it.
“I was in good shape in the finale, but unfortunately I pulled my foot out and so I slowed down at the finish,” he told the RaiSport TV cameras. “I haven’t been able to take anything yesterday or today, but will hopefully in the next week. In the team time trial we will aim to lose as little as possible, and Thursday should be another beautiful stage.”
When he finally commented on the crash he had caused, he was defiant about his action that had brought Cavendish crashing down so spectacularly.
“I don’t know who was behind me,” he said. “I know that when Farrar went I threw myself right and somebody hooked me back. There was space to pass, I don’t know who was on the wheel or what happened.
“I made my sprint,” he added. “I was on my course. I was in front of him [Cavendish], I don’t care what happens behind me.”
While Ferrari was unapologetic, his Androni Giocattoli-Venezuela manager Gianni Savio was rather more diplomatic.
“We very much regret what happened and apologize to Mark Cavendish on behalf of Roberto Ferrari and the whole team,” he told RaiSport. “It was absolutely not a deliberate move; Roberto saw the wheel of Farrar and tried to follow him, not realising that Mark Cavendish was right behind him.”
Ferrari’s move, and particularly his defiance afterwards, have not made him popular with his peers, with many of them - including Cavendish - calling for him to be thrown off the race. The Androni Giocattoli-Venezuela sprinter has the rest day, and the day of the team time trial to take back his post-stage comments, if he wants to find forgiveness in the peloton.