Giro organisers hit back hard at Vingegaard's complaints: 'The riders went too far'

The 15th stage of the Giro d’Italia produced a sensation in Milan, with the breakaway just holding off the sprinters. By that point, half the peloton had already stopped riding: after complaints from the riders, the jury decided to intervene and, because of the dangerous course, take the GC times at the end of the penultimate lap. Afterwards, the organisers hit back hard at the riders.

It was in part thanks to pink jersey Jonas Vingegaard that the conditions were eased. "I think I spent more time by the red car than by my own car," Vingegaard laughed to CyclingPro.net. "I think we as riders all felt that today was not the safest circuit. I spoke to a lot of riders, and we agreed we had to try something. That is why I went to the red car".

It was clearly a tricky lap in Milan. "Overall, the road was not in its best condition, there were lots of holes in the road, constantly. There was no moment where I felt safe enough to take a bottle or a gel. There were a lot of tram tracks, and it was very bumpy riding over them. Overall, we in the peloton thought they could have done better, but it is good that they listened to us".

Victor Campenaerts and Giulio Ciccone (Lidl-Trek) also made their case to the jury car, which then decided to take the time gaps at 16 kilometres to go, giving the concerned riders some breathing space. It will have pleased the riders, but the Giro organisers were far from happy with the decision. RCS Sport CEO Paolo Bellino lashed out in La Gazzetta dello Sport.

"I think the riders went too far with what was said," the Italian fumed, feeling the complaining riders had little right to raise the alarm. "The Milan circuit was beautiful, very well designed and not dangerous. We inspected every metre and safety was fully guaranteed".

RCS, organiser of the Giro d’Italia, therefore does not appreciate that the jury listened to Vingegaard and co. "This is my personal opinion, but I think it would have been enough to take the times at five kilometres from the finish," Bellino concluded.