Lotto Dstny demands UCI evidence that Ewan didn't win GP Monseré | Video

Caleb Ewan watches the finish of GP Monseré after being declared the winner, doing a winner's TV interview and then being told he hadn't actually won

Caleb Ewan has already taken to social media - with what he says is photo evidence - to argue that he won GP Monseré at the weekend, even though he was declared runner-up behind Gerben Thijssen (Intermarché-Circus-Wanty).

And now the Australian's Lotto-Dstny team is demanding the UCI furnish it with evidence the Ewan did not win the race.

The team has written to the world governing body seeking whatever evidence it has - one assumes better quality images of the finish - to prove the result was the correct one. Other photos that Ewan has already shared appear to show he won the race.

The Australian and Belgian riders crossed the line in a very tight finish in Belgium and Ewan was initially declared winner. He was also ushered backstage to do his winner's TV interview before the podium celebration. However, just before that presentation, the result was reversed, with Thijssen declared the victor and Ewan the runner-up.

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Sporza reports that Lotto-Dstny contacted the UCI on Monday seeking proof that Ewan did not win the race. And if it cannot provide that proof, the team wants Ewan declared the joint winner of the event.

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The complaint - coupled with some very suspect blurry images from the recent UAE Tour - will hopefully force the UCI to up its game when it comes to finish line technology. The result in the very tight finish of UAE Tour stage 1 - Tim Merlier (Soudal-QuickStep) declared winner over Ewan - looked like the right one, but the photo finish images were of very poor quality.

However, the finishing order in Belgium on Sunday is still in doubt in the eyes of many. The only photo finish image that has emerged to date is of very poor quality, again. And head-on shots taken from just a few metres after the finish line appear to show Ewan won. There were similar issues at the finish of Amstel Gold in 2021, when it was judged Wout Van Aert (Jumbo Visma) had just beaten Tom Pidcock (Inoes Grenadiers) in the sprint for victory.

While most people accept Van Aert did win, and photo finish evidence appeared to confirm it, the poor quality of the photo finish images was once again an issue. The UCI has also proven very slow in sharing those images publicly very quickly after a finish - a problem that has arguably already undermined confidence in the finish line technology.

At some races, race officials have the photo finish image on their phones and have sought to show the phone to the TV cameras as a way of assuring the public of fairness.