Giro Jot del Giorno - 5/7/2012

There was a bit of confusion in the crash-marred finale of today's stage, as the maglia rosa holder crossed the finish line in the back of an ambulance, but still came out for the podium presentation. According to the 3 km rule governing crashes in a flat stage, those caught up in a crash or behind it, are awarded the same time as the eventual winner. The general rule for any stage racer is that the athlete must cross the finish line under his own power, otherwise the athlete is deemed to have abandoned the stage. But under the 3 km rule, those caught in the crash, because they are automatically awarded a finishing time, do not have to physically cross the finish line. Here's official word from Team BMC and Taylor Phinney:

Podium Appearance Important 

After remaining on the ground for several minutes, Phinney was helped into a rescue squad and his right ankle bandaged. Though he was not required by race rules to physically cross the finish line (since the mishap occurred in the final three kilometers), Phinney said he was feeling better and wanted to make an appearance on the podium. "I wanted to show the fans and the public and my family watching at home that I was OK," he said. "I felt like it was important to do that, to come back." BMC Racing Team Assistant Director Fabio Baldato said Phinney will join the rest of the team on a charter flight Monday night from Denmark to Italy. "Team President Jim Ochowicz and our race doctor, Dario Spinelli, will go with Taylor to a hospital in Verona tonight and we'll have an update afterwards," Baldato said.

However, those merely caught behind the crash, and uninjured, must still cross the finish line to establish a placing for the race record.