Giro d’Italia 2024, Stage 16: Livigno – Santa Cristina Valgardena/Sankt Christina in Gröden (Monte Pana), 202.0k 206.0k

[Brullnux]

Alpine skiers are usually also a lot bulkier, so they have their own natural padding (muscle+ fat) to rely on. A skinny, geriatric climber like Nairo has, well, very little to protect him from the cold. Makes me want to knit him a sweater seeing as there is no riding to watch right now...

It's also a two minute race, they have a massive parka on until they're in the hut, and get it back on quickly after.

There's also the effort needed in DH skiing, warms the body up more than downhill cycling.

 

[SafeBet]

When your name's Frigo you gotta be good in the cold!

 

[hrotha]

Alpine skiers are used to those conditions, cyclists aren't. They aren't used to riding around 0 degrees when descending on roads with ice.

Well they're hardly going to get used to it if they keep neutralizing stages are they

 

[Brullnux]

Plapp said that riders told organisers that they wanted to move the start to Prato three days ago...

Need to get a grip a bit if that's the case. As riders you surely know that organisers have contracts, requirements, payments, that are the only reason the race is happening in the first place. The forecast wasn't incredibly bad, it was just like 5 degrees at the top. It then became really bad, sure.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Alpine skiers are usually also a lot bulkier, so they have their own natural padding (muscle+ fat) to rely on. A skinny, geriatric climber like Nairo has, well, very little to protect him from the cold. Makes me want to knit him a sweater seeing as there is no riding to watch right now...

But then in cross-country you have people like Delphine Claudel and Sjur Røthe.

 

[Rackham]

the important part from the RCS press release is missing here:

"A few minutes before the start, the weather conditions deteriorated further and so the Commission decided to fall back on Option 3 - In the event of extreme weather conditions, the stage will be neutralized up to a place where the safety conditions are met.

On today's meeting, an agreement was reached on moving the race from Livigno with a town parade. Despite an handshake between the parties, the athletes did not show up at the start in Livigno."

-> no more shortened stages to be expected

There needs to be a separate entity IMO, i.e. a commission of sorts dedicated to determining whether safety conditions in a stage are met based on a very strict set of predefined rules. They have to be from outside the organization & have zero affiliation with the teams or riders.

No more asking riders what they think or 'handshakes'. It's entirely futile when most of these guys are totally in it for their own interests & will advocate for whatever is best for their leaders.

 

[Brullnux]

There needs to be a separate entity IMO, i.e. a commission of sorts dedicated to determining whether safety conditions in a stage are met based on a very strict set of predefined rules. They have to be from outside the organization & have zero affiliation with the teams or riders.

No more asking riders what they think or 'handshakes'. It's entirely futile when most of these guys are totally in it for their own interests & will advocate for whatever is best for their leaders.

Yeah there has to be a mediation committee of some kind, run by the UCI. It's normal that organisers and riders have different/competing interests, there needs to be clearer rules re EWP that everyone sticks to, and that form the basis of these discussions. No more 'I'd like to see the organisers ride in this' talk, and a clear outline of what is considered dangerous to the health and safety of cyclists and what is merely very unpleasant.

 

[Mayomaniac]

I don't like to say it, but it's always the native English speakers among the riders who cause drama and problems at the Giro.

 

[SafeBet]

Need to get a grip a bit if that's the case. As riders you surely know that organisers have contracts, requirements, payments, that are the only reason the race is happening in the first place.

I'm not entirely sure the riders (or at least most of them) understand the basic economics of cycling.
Even Pogacar suggested that the easy solution was to finish the stage on the Stelvio.

 

[QueenStagiaire]

I don't like to say it, but it's always the native English speakers among the riders who cause drama and problems at the Giro.

The Aussies just aren‘t used to cold weather, so they are going to complain a lot. You know, guys like Pogačar and Quintana who can deal with cold weather didn‘t seem to be too mad.

 

[Mayomaniac]

I'm not entirely sure the riders (or at least most of them) understand the basic economics of cycling.
Even Pogacar suggested that the easy solution was to finish the stage on the Stelvio.

It's pretty much "lol, don't care, I get played anyway" by them.
Seriously, you'd just need a bit of common sense to understand that towns pay money to host and start stages and that there are contracts in place.

 

[Mayomaniac]

The Aussies just aren‘t used to cold weather, so they are going to complain a lot. You know, guys like Pogačar and Quintana who can deal with cold weather didn‘t seem to be too mad.

Depends also what part of Australia we're talking about.

 

[Tricycle Rider]

At last they are riding - rainy, 103km to go, not sure what's been added and what's been subtracted from the route. That's okay though, at least something is happening.

 

[Samamba]

Is Movistar controlling??? They close every gap with a train

 

[Salvarani]

All I want is to see Blythe suffer in terrible weather with one of his horribly colored sweaters

 

[Berniece]

The point was that the temperatures weren't the problem for the riders, but for the conditions because the roads would become dangerous.

Low temperature protocols exist in XC skiing and biathlon for the sake of the competitors' health, with things like frostbite becoming factors. There is simply not a need for an equivalent in cycling, and including the cold rather than the road conditions within Hansen's letter is a misnomer and an irrelevance because sports exist where they routinely deal with lower temperatures than anything the riders will face, whereas the real issue with cycling competition at low temperatures is with the road safety.

So you disagree with why they didn't want to race, but agree that they shouldn't race. Just for different reasons than they stated in a letter?

 

[sam6]

There are no climbs for the break to go on now, will there even be a break? In other stages it's taken 80-90km for the break to form on some days, if it takes that long today then that will already take them to the penultimate climb. I suspect something will get away, purely as the riders won't want it to be mega tough all day in this weather, but it's possible that there might be no break

 

[Mayomaniac]

So, could RCS sue the riders union for damage because of the no show at the start in Livigno? They can argue that now they have to host another stage start there or give them a stage finish for less money next year and demand that those who caused their financial loss have to pay it.

 

[perico]

Alpine skiers are used to those conditions, cyclists aren't. They aren't used to riding around 0 degrees when descending on roads with ice. It's just dangerous.

They are also equipped for it. Anyone goes skiing you have a ski jacket, pants, boots and thick socks. Ski jumpers and alpine skiers have tights and clothing designed for speed but are designed for maximum warmth in freezing temperatures. It wasn’t all that long ago that a cycling kit required you to stick newspaper down your jersey so your sweat didn’t freeze on the descent in stifling heat.

 

[Tricycle Rider]

Depends also what part of Australia we're talking about.

They get some snow down in Victoria, don't they? My dad raced the Kangaroo Hoppet there a few years back, obviously wouldn't be able to do it without snow.

 

[Netserk]

There needs to be a separate entity IMO, i.e. a commission of sorts dedicated to determining whether safety conditions in a stage are met based on a very strict set of predefined rules. They have to be from outside the organization & have zero affiliation with the teams or riders.

No more asking riders what they think or 'handshakes'. It's entirely futile when most of these guys are totally in it for their own interests & will advocate for whatever is best for their leaders.

That is already the case now. At least on paper. It's the role of the UCI commissaire, hence in the EWP: "If stakeholders cannot reach a consensus by the end of the meeting, the organiser, in agreement with the President of the Commissaires’ Panel, shall decide the actions to be taken."

The problem is that the riders don't respect the EWP. They want to veto all decisions.

 

[Samamba]

Someone explain Movistar

 

[zlev11]

what a *** joke. *** these guys. not watching this garbage today.

 

[perico]

Someone explain Movistar

Nairo has to eat.

 

[Extinction]

Heroic cycling is dead, has been masacred over safety.