Cycing chiefs are to probe the circumstances surrounding the spectacular crash where Remco Evenepoel plunged 10 metres (30ft) into a ravine in Italy two weeks ago, with particular interest in an object taken from the stricken rider by his support staff.

World cycling body the UCI president David Lappartient, speaking on the fringes of the Tour de France in the start town of Nice on Friday, said the Cycling Anti-Doping Foundation (CADF) had been given the dossier and images of the crash and its aftermath.

"We have passed the images and dossier to the CADF so they can interview those concerned and understand a little more about an object that was taken from Remco Evenpoel's back pocket," Lappartient told reporters in Nice.

Images from the August 15 fall on the Tour of Lombardy, which left the promising Belgian with a broken pelvis, indicate that the rider's sports director Davide Bramati took an object from his pocket, sparking debate on social media it could have been some kind of illegal transmitter.

UCI chief David Lappartient has announced a probe into Remco Evenepoel over suspected illegal in race data transmission
UCI chief David Lappartient has announced a probe into Remco Evenepoel over suspected illegal in race data transmission APA / Reinhard EISENBAUER

"The sports director said they were first alerted to the crash because they stopped receiving data from him. What data are they talking about here?" the cycling chief asked.

"It is banned to transmit certain information. If it's just about his location then that's okay, but there can be no other data transmissions."

Rising star Evenepoel, just 20, was leading the classic one-day race when he misjudged a corner and fell into a ravine.

This season he won the Tour of Poland and was slated to race the Giro d'Italia in October where he would have been amongst the favourites.

Poland