Bouhanni: “When I move an ear, they are just waiting to punish me for it”
Nacer Bouhanni (Cofidis) was first across the line at the EuroEyes Cyclassics WorldTour race in Hamburg but was disqualified afterwards for what the race jury saw as an irregular sprint.
Victory instead went to Caleb Ewan (Orica – BikeExchange) with John Degenkolb (Team Giant-Alpecin) second and Giacomo Nizzolo (Trek-Segafredo) in third. It was the 22 year-old Australian sprinter’s first WorldTour win.
“Me, when I move an ear, they are just waiting to punish me for it,” Bouhanni said according. “I believe I won.”
Alain Deloeuil, Cofidis directeur sportif, defended Bouhanni, saying that the deviation was not intentional.
“He had his head looking at the handlebar, the move was involuntary,” Deloeuil claimed. “We should let him do his sport and do his job. Some commit more serious offences and are left alone. But with Nacer, they break down every move, and they don’t give him any gifts.”
“There was a scramble before the doping test. Nacer had been drawn. He went there. Then when he was declassified, he was told that he had nothing more to do with control. And later, the UCI went to search the bus for him to finally do the test.”
