Riders' union praises neutralization, but UAE manager criticizes 'foolish' riders: "In my day, there was no neutralization"

Saronni cites a mythical story. The legendary ride over the Gavia, where the snowfall was extremely heavy, is still etched in many people's memories. Saronni was there as a rider. “It was the morning of the Gavia stage,” he begins his anecdote to BiciSport. "We, the riders, were getting calls from fans already along the route. They warned us about the cold, the rain, and the snow. And the road wasn't even paved yet."

"The team captains then invited Torriani (then director of the Giro, ed.) to a meeting to discuss what to do. He let us talk and listened carefully to us. We asked if taking an alternative route and bypassing the most troubled area would be a good idea. When we were done, he put his hand on my shoulder and said, ‘Beppe, you wanted to be a cyclist...’ And that's how the scene began and ended, as everyone remembers so well."

Times change, as the manager knows. "But I wonder why these kinds of things only happen in the Giro d'Italia." He thinks neutralization isn't always necessary. “Dear riders, you need to know how to ride a bike. It's not enough to have a computer or a radio; you need to use your common sense. You need to know when to take it easy and when it's time to be safe. If you crash, you hurt yourself. You have to be smart about it. You also have to consider the conditions during the race so that you can keep enough distance."

Primoz Roglic and Rafal Majka, among others, intervened in the process, and the race was eventually suspended for a short time. However, according to Saronni, road captains must consider all perspectives. "In my day, neutralization didn't exist, and it can't be possible that at least one stage of the Giro has to be neutralized every year."

"They should also question their responsibilities." He understands that the jury and organization have a difficult task in the event of severe weather and crashes. "But in some instances, it may be necessary to clarify that the fault does not lie with the route but how the riders behave. It can all become too comfortable for the athletes. Cycling involves risks, and you must approach them responsibly and intelligently. Sometimes, I feel that this is lacking a little."

Strong words from Saronni, but on the other side of the debate, more than enough people are very satisfied with RCS Sport's decision. The CPA has nothing but praise for the Giro organization. “In some circumstances, riders and our association have found themselves in need of criticizing the organization of some races for safety problems that have occurred," the riders' union began in a statement on X.

"Instead, today we would like above all to congratulate the excellent decision taken by the organization and the jury. This allowed the riders who had suffered a bad crash to recover and be rescued, and the entire peloton to complete the race without stress and with a spectacular final sprint. We would like RCS Sport to be taken as an example by all organizers who will find themselves in the same situation in the future"