Health risks with the Giro
Cycling professionals protest, route changed, start postponed
May 21, 2024, 1:19 p.m
Temperatures of two degrees and a 95 percent chance of snow: At the Giro d’Italia, the professional cyclists are forcing a change in the route. The drivers’ union warns of “significant health risks”, superstar Tadej Pogacar finds the situation “dangerous”.
Following a rider protest due to the extreme weather conditions, the route of the 16th stage of the Giro d’Italia was changed today, Tuesday, and the start was postponed. Since temperatures of two degrees and a 95 percent probability of snow were forecast at the Umbrail Pass, the professional cyclists refused to start. “Such conditions pose significant health risks,” said the riders’ union CPA. They are not in line with the regulations of the world association UCI for extreme weather conditions.
The organizer RCS finally decided to start the stage in Livigno. In front of the Munt-Raschera tunnel, the professional cyclists are taken in cars to the foot of the Stelvio Pass, where the real start takes place. “It’s really bad weather,” said overall first-place finisher Tadej Pogacar. “I have already seen snowflakes in our hotel, which is at an altitude of 1,900 meters. At 600 meters higher it is definitely full of snow. It is dangerous to ski down there.”
Drivers’ union: “Unacceptable”
After leaving Livigno, we were supposed to cross the 2,498 meter high Umbrail Pass today before continuing towards our destination Val Gardena. The organizer RCS had originally planned to set up a stopping zone at the top of the pass where the riders would have had the opportunity to change clothes during a three-minute break. “The year is 2024. It is unacceptable to cancel and restart races under such circumstances,” the CPA continued. “The aim of the drivers is to compete, not to get into a situation where they have to stop in a parking lot at an altitude of 2,498 meters, change clothes in two degrees Celsius with a high probability of snow and then continue driving,” criticized Adam Hansen, President of the CPA.
The Umbrail Pass was only added to the route last week instead of the 2,758 meter high Stelvio Pass because of the danger of avalanches there. Before the final six stages of the Tour of Italy, the Slovenian Pogacar is in the lead by almost seven minutes.