The
AIGCP complain to the Giro organisers
Tuesday 15th May, 2007
by Martin Williamson
The AIGCP (Association Internationnale des Groupes
Cyclistes Professionnels), headed by Patrick Lefevere,
formally complained to the Giro organisers today, regarding
the hassle that pretty much everyone had in getting away from Sardinia,
as Ed aluded
to in his diary.
The fact that today was meant to be a rest day
was lost on the teams which spent most of the day travelling, with
riders unable to get out on their bikes at all because the trucks
(with the bikes) didn't get to the team hotels until the evening -
definitely not what these guys need after several very hard days in
the hills.
Here's the communication in full:
"In light of the numerous
transfers that have characterised the first three stages of the 90th
edition of the Giro D’Italia, the ‘AIGCP’
(Association Internationnale des Groupes Cyclistes Professionnels)
would like to highlight the logistical difficulties their teams had
upon leaving Sardinia.
"Some teams only arrived
at their hotels at 3pm. Further difficulties were caused due
to the fact that the ferry transporting the team vehicles and team
equipment was heavily delayed, arriving at the port of Naples
at 5.30pm, meaning that the athletes couldn’t take part in their
normal afternoon training session.
"The ‘AIGCP’ would like to reiterate that their teams
collaborated fully with RCS, something that lead to a wonderful event
fully respecting the members of the public, even though they had to
organise very complicated transfers for their athletes and staff
in occasion of the presentation of the Giro D’Italia on Friday,
11th May and for the timed team trial that took place on the Island
of Maddalena the day after.
"Having fully understood the organisers’ requirements and
efforts, the ‘AIGCP’ would like to ask that RCS pay more
attention to detail when planning future transfers and that they consider
not only the Organisers’ interests but also the necessities
of the Teams taking part.
AIGCP - Patrick Lefevere
It almost goes without saying that the organisers
would plan for the riders to actually have a rest on the Rest Day,
but it's interesting to see how these things are handled.
