Gaviria was caught on camera uttering the words “che bici di merda” once he crossed the finish line, which translates to “what a sh*t bike”.
The disdain for his equipment was immediately evident, having bounced his front wheel in frustration at finishing second before bashing his saddle with his fist.
The UAE Team Emirates rider seemed stuck in a small gear as he tried to take on Demare, though he refused to go into detail when questioned by the media.
“I can’t say anything,” Gaviria said of the mechanical problem. “Because I’ll get told off. I can say absolutely nothing about the bike.”
Gaviria later revealed in his televised post-race interview that lead-out man Max Richeze, too, experienced some problems with his bike as the stage approached its final throws.
“We didn’t have Richeze in the final – his chain came off at one kilometre (to go) – and we couldn’t do anything,” the 27-year-old said.
“The anger and the frustration is because I wanted to win. Being so close, feeling (I had) the legs, fighting for it, and losing… I didn’t like that.
“It’s stupid to get annoyed, but that’s racing.”
The Giro d'Italia continues tonight with Stage 6 LIVE via SBS On Demand from 8:25pm (AEST), and later on SBS at 11pm (AEST). WA viewers can watch the race from 9pm (AWST) on SBS VICELAND.
