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Giro d'Italia 2020, stage 19: Morbegno › Asti (258k)

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I always like workers organising and protesting against The Man, but this is weird. Just get it over with.

I mean, make the stage 20km for all I care or cancel it, but this seemed like the most harmless stage of the race. Ok, it's long, but if it's ridden at 40km/h it's about 6 hours and doesn't cost much energy in the peloton. I bet pro cyclists do harder training rides than that regularly.
 
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It seems that the riders are scared of their health, of course related to Covid. Riding for 6(+) hours in the rain will weaken their immune system they stated. This leads to a higher chance of getting the virus and testing positive on the last couple of days.
 
I don't like these "pussy" comments (apart from the fact that I don't know why that is a bad thing) either. I am usually in favor of protecting their health. Just because someone gets payed a lot, doesn't mean he should not care about his health or life. But the way this is done it looks like some who know they have nothing to gain with a long stage anymore, because they are at the end of their powers, protest, and change the rules for the others who might profit from the circumstances. Rain and long transfers were to be expected. They really could have complained before.
 
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It seems that the riders are scared of their health, of course related to Covid. Riding for 6(+) hours in the rain will weaken their immune system they stated. This leads to a higher chance of getting the virus and testing positive on the last couple of days.
Where do they draw the line though, because any amount of racing will have some effect on their immune system.
 
I’d rather they’d have sorted this out before, but I guess doing it on the morning of a stage gives maximum effect.

I can understand riders complaining though. Arriving late to the hotel of a night and having to be up at 4am for another long transfer to the early start.
 
Sure, pay me as much as some of those guys today are earning and I'll give it a shot.

They're shooting themselves and cycling in the foot imo with all this stuff. Do you think the sponsors want to be associated with rider protests?

Ah yes, while the doping scandals over the years didn't end the sport, shortening one pan flat 260km sprint stage where nothing will happen for 95% of the day will definitely drive all the sponsors away.
 
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Ah yes, while the doping scandals over the years didn't end the sport, shortening one pan flat 260km sprint stage where nothing will happen for 95% of the day will definitely drive all the sponsors away.

It clearly did impact the sport in lots of countries at the professional level though. It won't end in Belgium or anything but look at US involvement from the early 00s (even outside of Lance) to what it is now in the Peleton. Germany went into a decline after the TMobile stuff. Talent out of Spain has dropped off sharply.

We're now going into another recession and sponsors are already pulling out due to that and plenty of guys will likely be out of work or earning less than they would next year.

You want to give the sponsors as little of a reason to pull out as you can imo, and protesting for inane reason like the race is too long like today is a big minus point imo.
 
I don't like these "pussy" comments (apart from the fact that I don't know why that is a bad thing) either. I am usually in favor of protecting their health. Just because someone gets payed a lot, doesn't mean he should not care about his health or life. But the way this is done it looks like some who know they have nothing to gain with a long stage anymore, because they are at the end of their powers, protest, and change the rules for the others who might profit from the circumstances. Rain and long transfers were to be expected. They really could have complained before.
I agree. Also because it may decide the Giro in the end. A "rest day" today will be of huge benefit for Kelderman, as tomorrow's stage is likely to be too easy for attacks to work out without tired legs
 
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Reactions: Sandisfan
It clearly did impact the sport in lots of countries at the professional level though. It won't end in Belgium or anything but look at US involvement from the early 00s (even outside of Lance) to what it is now in the Peleton. Germany went into a decline after the TMobile stuff. Talent out of Spain has dropped off sharply.

We're now going into another recession and sponsors are already pulling out due to that and plenty of guys will likely be out of work or earning less than they would next year.

You want to give the sponsors as little of a reason to pull out as you can imo, and protesting for inane reason like the race is too long like today is a big minus point imo.
Sponsors pulling out ofver 100km cut to a stage is real spurious stuff
 

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