The start of the 16th stage of the Tour of Italy was delayed on Tuesday amid confusion over its progress as riders threatened not to start due to difficult weather conditions. This mountain stage between Livigno and Monte Pana was due to start at 11:20 a.m. (fictitious start) from the Lombard ski resort, but riders and teams were still in discussions with the RCS organizers.
Shift the start
The riders are campaigning for a shortening of the stage to shift the start to the foot of the descent of the first pass of the day, the Giogo di Santa Maria, where it was snowing. “The latest news is that we should go to the new start by car, but we are still waiting for a decision,” Astana team manager Alexandre Vinokourov told the press. The day before, RCS had put in place a special protocol for this stage which had already been cut a few days ago from the legendary Stelvio due to the risk of avalanche.
This protocol provided in particular, in the event of bad weather, that the runners could change clothes at the summit of Giogo di Santa Maria, perched at an altitude of 2,498 meters, where the race would be neutralized for three minutes. Several riders and teams described this measure as “ridiculous” and “clownesque”.
Tensions rose a notch on Tuesday morning when the riders’ union CPA wrote a letter, published by its president Adam Hansen on Maria was not removed from the stage.
“Runners want to run and put on a show. But not face a situation where they have to stop in a parking lot at 2,498 m to change when it is two degrees and there is a high probability of snow before continue. This would entail serious health risks, especially on the descent” from Giogo di Santa Maria.