Ben O'Connor blasts Giro organizers amidst snow chaos: "You still have dinosaurs who really don't see the human side of things"
CyclingTuesday, 21 May 2024 at 11:43
The gloves are off at the Giro d'Italia. This morning's stage 16 debate on when, where and how the stage will begin is being nothing but chaotic and Ben O'Connor, one of the leading figures in the race, has directly called out the race organizers over what he considers to be an unbelievable decision to try and have the riders race in such weather conditions.
"It's probably one of the worst organized races I think, I'm just being honest," the Australian said in words to Eurosport. "This would never have happened in 99% of other situations. It's a shame, in 2024 and you still have dinosaurs who really don't see the human side of things." This follows freezing conditions and snow falling not only on the Umbrailpass but also on the Passo del Foscagno.
Snow is falling all throughout the region in the highest peaks and the Giro d'Italia, arriving at the Alps and going at high altitude, is once again affected by this. The Passo dello Stelvio was originally cut and the riders would race up the Umbrailpass, but now that is no longer happening. But a clash between the riders (and the CPA) and RCS, the Giro's organizers, has left no-one with consensus on where the stage will start and in what conditions.
"I would like to still ride the stage, I would not like to ride over 2500 meters [of altitude] in 5 degrees and the pouring rain. At 2500 it's already snowing. I think it's clear that we should start low and do the finish and still have a race, still have a final," O'Connor argues. The possibility of starting the stage in Prati di Stelvio, 35 kilometers after the summit of the Umbrailpass, has been brought up but how they get there is not yet decided.
Still, regardless of what will happen, O'Connor is clearly angry at the race organizers' insistence on making the riders race under such conditions. "I would like to see him (Mauro Vegni, race organizer, ed.) in our position, get us on the bike and do the start of this stage and have his answer after a couple hours. I wish he could experience it so that he would have a sense of what it's really like rather than turning up on a car or that it's great for people to watch."
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Listen Ben, I understand your worries but you’re probably a little naïve about what it takes to change an event of this magnitude last minute, especially involving borders when the Swiss were very clear before they would NOT accept the race coming over (seems in extremis a solution appeared, a favour was given).
Also, you may be a bit young to participate in criticism of dinosaurs, remember that the cycling dinosaurs almost all went through these kind of stages and worse. Be happy you didn’t have to ride back then and that you have a CPA.
Now, if the CPA would maybe show itself a little earlier with upcoming bad weather, they could actually help organisers prepare for switches to plans B or C instead of just demanding last minute and expecting everyone to have readymade solutions to move everything about, because contrary to what some riders may think, it’s not just them who have to change location and the time changes will affect EVERYONE in the region, even those not involved in cycling.
Mhm...
Like, Lefevere? Yeah. He is a dinosaur too.