Team 'astonished' as rider kicked out of Giro d'Italia Women

Lorena Wiebes was kicked out of the race for riding an underweight bike. (Getty Images: Luc Claessen)

Lorena Wiebes out-sprinted Elisa Balsamo and Lara Gillespie to win the opening stage of Giro d'Italia Women.

The race jury found that Wiebes's bike was 200 grams underweight, leading to the Dutch champion being disqualified.

Tomorrow's second stage will also likely finish in a bunch sprint, with Balsamo racing in the leader's pink jersey.

The team of Dutch cyclist Lorena Wiebes was left "astonished" after the multi-talented 27-year-old was disqualified from the Giro d'Italia women for riding an underweight bike.

Wiebes (SD Worx-Protime) comfortably claimed victory in an opening stage bunch sprint to claim the first leader's maglia rosa (pink jersey) of the race ahead of Elisa Balsamo (Lidl–Trek) and Ireland's Lara Gillespie (UAE Team ADQ) in Ravenna.

However, hours after being presented the jersey, Wiebes was sensationally kicked out of the race.

Race organisers said in a written statement that last year's points classification winner on the Giro was riding a bike "not in compliance with the regulations, specifically failing to meet the minimum weight requirements".

Bikes in UCI World Tour races have a lower weight limit of 6.8 kilograms, with Wiebes's said to weigh 200 grams under the limit.

However, Team SD Worx-Protime were furious at the ruling, saying it had "serious questions" over whether the procedures in place were accurate.

Lorena Wiebes won the stage by more than three bike lengths. (Getty Images: Luc Claessen)

"Team SD Worx-Protime is astonished by the decision of the UCI Commissaires' Panel that Lorena Wiebes' bicycle did not comply with the minimum weight limit after the first stage of the Giro d'Italia Women," the statement read.

"The team has serious questions about the bicycle-weighting procedures at the Giro d'Italia Women.

"For example, there was a weight difference of more than 50 grams between the first and second weighing of Wiebes' bicycle after the finish of the stage in Ravenna.

"Wiebes has ridden this bicycle on multiple occasions this season, always with the same set up.

"She achieved numerous victories on this bike. Moreover, earlier this year, the bicycle was weighed by UCI officials after several races in which Wiebes won sprint finishes convincingly.

"On each occasion, the bicycle's weight was found to be comfortably above the 6.8-kilogram limit. The team therefore does not understand how the very same bicycle could now suddenly be measured below the minimum weight requirement."

Wiebes was (briefly) adorned