UAE manager Saronni: "It can’t be that every year at the Giro at least one stage has to be neutralized"

Yesterday's stage of the Giro d'Italia featured another mass crash on a descent that didn't look technical but that was incredibly slippery. Lots of riders went down including some of the race's headliners, and ultimately the race was neutralized - with the GC times and points also removed from the finale into Napoli. Not everyone enjoyed these decisions however.

"I wonder why these things only happen at the Giro d’Italia. You have to know how to race. Having the little computers or the radio isn’t enough — you need to use your head," Beppe Saronni, manager at UAE Team Emirates - XRG, said in an interview with Quibicisport. "You have to know when it’s time to slow down, not to take risks".

Saronni put in a big argument for risk management within the peloton, something he feels is the responsibility of the riders. "When you fall, you get hurt, and you have to manage yourself wisely. Safety distances must be kept depending on the race conditions as well. In the group, there’s communication; the team leaders can agree on certain situations without making a big fuss".

The crash with over 70 kilometers to go saw Jai Hindley withdraw from the race with a concussion, whilst the likes of Mads Pedersen, Paul Magnier and Richard Carapaz were amongst the many who went down. The immediate chaos saw the organizers neutralize the race due to the possibility of the need for several ambulances. Josef Cerny and Jay Vine did not abandon the race because of this complete neutralization, after both had reportedly left the race after the fall.

"In my time, neutralization didn’t exist, and it can’t be that every year at the Giro at least one stage has to be neutralized. Riders should also question their own responsibilities," the Italian argues. "I understand that there are many problems and the organization must try to avoid crashes, but in some cases maybe people need to understand that the fault isn’t the course, but how the riders themselves manage things".

"It becomes too convenient for riders to threaten when something doesn’t please them. Cycling involves risks, and you have to face them with responsibility and intelligence. Sometimes it really seems like something is missing."