A nightmare day on the Rás got even worse for Italian team manager Alberto Elli last night when his behaviour became a little too heated.
Just hours after strenuously protesting when his rider and overall leader Francesco Reda was disqualified from the race for towing off a team car, the manager of the Italian team on the Rás has himself been removed from the race.
Stickybottle understands Alberto Elli of Team IDEA 2010 ASD became involved in what one source described as "heated protests" to commissaires at the race headquarters hotel last night.
And because the commissaires and race organisers were unhappy with his conduct he was told he was being removed from the race.
He had initially appealed the decision to disqualify Reda and when that was rejected in the hours after stage 2 from Carlow to Tipperary ended yesterday he went to the hotel to meet the officials last night.
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He made efforts to lodge another appeal but when he was informed this was not possible he protested very strongly and in a manner that has proven unacceptable.
His exclusion completed a nightmare day for his team when Reda was seen taking a prolonged tow from his team car as he tried to regain the front group.
Reda on his way to victory on the opening stage of the Rás on Sunday into Carlow. He also took the yellow jersey but was disqualified on the road to Tipperary on yesterday's stage 2 (Photo: Paul Mohan - Sportsfile)
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He punctured just inside the last 20km and though his team mate gave him a wheel, the team said it pulled over and delayed him further.
Apparently anxious to get back into the front group before the start of the climb at Aherlow – crested just 10km from the finish - UCI chief commissiare on the Rás Danuta Macialek told stickybottle yesterday that Reda took a tow from his team car.
He also ignored the official warnings to desist.
“There was a big mishap concerning the leader after (the) stage,” said Macialek, a Polish woman appointed to the role this year.
“Unfortunately he got a puncture with about 20 kilometres to go.
"He got a very irregular assistance from his car. That is why we had to disqualify this rider, rider number 63.
“Potentially he could be a leader after today’s stage, but thanks to this irregular assistance he managed to catch the front group and we couldn’t just leave the result this way.”
She clarified that irregular assistance meant that he was towed by his team car; “exactly, on the window.”
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