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Team Sky's Gianni Moscon banned for five weeks for hitting out at rider during Tour de France

Sir Dave Brailsford says team will seek to help 24-year-old Italian overcome his problems

Team Sky's Gianni Moscon has been banned for five weeks by the UCI for hitting Fortuneo-Samsic rider Elie Gesbert during Stage 15 of last month's Tour de France.

> Team Sky's Gianni Moscon thrown out of Tour de France for hitting another rider (+ video)

The Italian was ejected from the race the same evening for "particularly serious aggression" and Team Sky said at the time that it would decide what action it would take against the rider  following the conclusion of the Tour de France.

There was some speculation that Moscon's future with Team Sky might be in doubt, with the 24-year-old receiving a formal warning from the team after he was suspended for six weeks last year after racially abusing the FDJ rider Kevin Reza.

However, today Team Sky principal Sir Dave Brailsford said the team would seek to help Moscon "move forward" from the latest controversy surrounding him.

“We accept the UCI’s decision to suspend Gianni for a five-week period," Brailsford said.

“This incident obviously happened during one of the most challenging races the team has ever faced. We are confident that Gianni truly regrets his actions and has learnt from this episode.

“We have a duty of care to all our riders which we take extremely seriously. Gianni is still a relatively young rider at the start of his career and we will continue to give him the help and support he needs to learn, develop and move forward from this.”

​Moscon said: “I accept the suspension given to me by the UCI. I reacted in the heat of the moment and it was never my intention to hit the rider."

Video of the incident was inconclusive as to whether Moscon had actuually made contact with Gesbert, although he insisted he had not.

"As the footage shows I didn’t make contact, but I regret my actions and I have already apologised to both Elie Gesbert and Team Fortuneo-Samsic for the incident."

His suspension will run from 8 August to 12 September 2018.

Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.

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11 comments

Avatar
fixit | 5 years ago
1 like

"is was never my intention to hit the rider" oh my god! my hand! its alive!! oh my god!! it has a mind of its own!! ITS ALIVE!!

Avatar
don simon fbpe | 5 years ago
0 likes

I think the rules should be changed to allow mild contact, nothing really happened, you'll see.

There's an obvious joke about road rage in there somewhere, it's just not coming out at the moment.no

Avatar
peted76 | 5 years ago
2 likes

He's a hot headed huge Italian talent. Any sane cycling team manager would want to keep him... I just hope he doesn't do a Bouhanni and let his head ruin his career.

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Leeroy_Silk replied to peted76 | 5 years ago
0 likes

peted76 wrote:

He's a hot headed huge Italian talent. Any sane cycling team manager would want to keep him... I just hope he doesn't do a Bouhanni and let his head ruin his career.

Agree 100%. I’d rather see a strong manager try to calm him down and nurture his talent. It would be a waste to sack him only to watch him destroy himself. 

Wonder what was said to provoke him?

Avatar
roadmanshaq | 5 years ago
3 likes

He's a racist, violent thug but that's no problem for Team Sky so long as he helps make the moolah.

 

We'll go through all this again in 9-12 months.

Avatar
BehindTheBikesheds replied to roadmanshaq | 5 years ago
2 likes

roadmanshaq wrote:

He's a racist, violent thug but that's no problem for Team Sky so long as he helps make the moolah.

 

We'll go through all this again in 9-12 months.

one comment that may or may not have been said and that makes you a racist? One lash out because someone said something to you or did you wrong makes him a violent thug, get a grip for fucks sakes!

Avatar
Biscuitfrisky replied to BehindTheBikesheds | 5 years ago
2 likes

[/quote]

get a grip for fucks sakes!

[/quote]

 

One swear word and you are branded a potty mouth

Avatar
hairyderriere replied to BehindTheBikesheds | 5 years ago
0 likes

BehindTheBikesheds wrote:

roadmanshaq wrote:

He's a racist, violent thug but that's no problem for Team Sky so long as he helps make the moolah.

 

We'll go through all this again in 9-12 months.

one comment that may or may not have been said and that makes you a racist? One lash out because someone said something to you or did you wrong makes him a violent thug, get a grip for fucks sakes!

 

If he were a motorist and his targets other road users like say, cyclists, would any of this be acceptable?

Why is it acceptable to you? 

Avatar
cdamian replied to roadmanshaq | 5 years ago
1 like

roadmanshaq wrote:

He's a racist, violent thug but that's no problem for Team Sky so long as he helps make the moolah.

 

We'll go through all this again in 9-12 months.

I'm sure people will find excuses then too.

Avatar
don simon fbpe | 5 years ago
1 like

He should go for a bike ride, it'll help calm him down (and stop him catching other illnesses like depression).

Avatar
BehindTheBikesheds | 5 years ago
2 likes

Road CC wrote "Team Sky's Gianni Moscon has been banned for five weeks by the UCI for hitting Fortuneo-Samsic rider Elie Gesbert."

As Moscon clearly did not make contact you might want to change your description to reflect that.

Frankly getting thrown out the race was laughable for a back swing that didn't connect, seen worse barely get a mention never mind the race organisers doing anything. Then to get a ban on top of that, let's hope they stay consistent.

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