French cyclist Pierre Barbier demonstrated on Wednesday that one should never prematurely enjoy victory.
During the hectic finish of stage two of the CRO Competition, a road cycling stage race in Croatia, Barbier believed he had precisely timed his dip to defeat Jonathan Milan of Italy.
As he passed the finish line, the B&B Hotels-KTM rider began wildly celebrating and proceeded to brag to the camera afterward.
However, his happiness was short-lived, as the picture finish revealed that Milan had triumphed by 0.4 milliseconds.
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Barbier viewed the situation in a humorous light, posting on Instagram with a photo of him celebrating at the finish line, “First win of the season… ahhh well no.”
Milan, who competes for Bahrain Victorious, said his close victory as “amazing.”
“I basically did what the men advised me to do,” he explained to reporters. “Two victories in two days is unfathomable, and I am ecstatic about it.
“I enjoy racing in Croatia very much.”
The third stage of the CRO Race occurs on Thursday.