FROM THE ENROLLED TO ASTI. After successfully battling Covid too, the Giro gets lost in a glass of water. It all happens at 10 am yesterday morning, before the start of the 19th stage Morbegno-Asti. The runners the day before had also faced and defeated the Stelvio, the Mostro, climbing over 2700 meters with 2-3 degrees at the top and even less in the subsequent descent. It seemed like yet another example of generosity and stoicism, a peculiarity of cycling. Instead, the next day he denied himself.
The teams arrive in dribs and drabs to the signature sheet, ready to face 258 km most likely in the rain, already beating. The weather says 12 degrees. «I was ready to leave – Nibali would have said, among the senators of the group, certainly the most famous -. I dressed well and ate for 5 hours under water. I knew nothing of what was going to happen. ‘ Many runners, such as the Shark, are unaware that some leaders are looking for proselytes in order not to start or at least get a shorter, cut, or rather halved stage. Nibali again: «The night before there had been some rumors, messages, chats. But certain topics shouldn’t be dealt with online or on social media “. Some improvised leaders, even without the knowledge of their own sports director, require Mauro Vegni, the director of the Giro, to no longer start from Morbegno but from Abbiategrasso, cutting the first 140 km. Vegni, with his back to the wall, ends up accepting, but creating a dangerous precedent.
So the riders cycle the first 10 km from Morbegno, so as not to upset the local authorities who have paid for a starting point, then they get back on the buses to Abbiategrasso, from where the real start is given at 2.30 pm. And here another shame comes true, because the big group lets go of an escape – in the end the Czech Josef Cerny will exalt – and between sneers and jokes comes to a small trot almost 12 ‘from the winner: one of the saddest pages in history of the Giro.
«Nobody told me anything – added Nibali – I think the riders’ union has decided. But we raced in worse situations, I don’t know if it was the right choice ». Certainly the group has not challenged the UCI protocol, which allows route changes only due to hail, snow in piles, strong wind, scorching heat, poor visibility or pollution. «Many teams the evening before had arrived late at the hotel for long transfers – specified Cristian Saved, n. 1 of the Italian riders union -. Doing 258 km in the rain and with 11 degrees would have been excessive ». Gianni Bugno, leader of the world trade union, while defending the riders admitted that the request had to be made before and not 10 ‘from the start. And he seemed very annoyed that he had not been asked about the matter. Which at this point seems to be the umpteenth maneuver against the Giro, after the unjustified escape of the Jumbo Visma, the free criticism of the anti-Covid security of the Belgian De Gendt and the appeal of the Ef team to the UCI to interrupt the Corsa Rosa for a week does. Is there a foreign frond against the Giro? Someone doesn’t want it to arrive in Milan tomorrow? For now, Vegni has decided not to pay the prizes from yesterday’s stage and to donate them to charity. And since Monday he has promised that those responsible will pay dearly for it.
