Every time the route of a major Giro is announced, discussions start about the length of the stages, their spectacular natureIt's a price the organizers know they'll have to pay, but the issue isn't trivial and must be addressed thoroughly. This also helps us understand the context within which they, whether Italian or foreign, must operate.
Yes, because the length of Line of Business, Tour o Return it is not chosen at random, The UCI has been working on the regulations for a long time now, establishing very clear restrictions., as Stefano testifies Allocchio, race director for 25 years now RCS after having been a great sprinter: «The Grand Tours have a mileage limit of 3.500Small exceptions are permitted; if a stage is interrupted by a landslide or other disruption, the route can be changed, but there's a limit of three interventions. Another rule is that a mountain stage of up to 240 kilometers can be included, but only if the finish is uphill.
Since when have these rules been in effect?
At least since the end of the last century and saying that sounds strange, it makes me feel really old… (Allocchio laughs considering his 59 years, ed.). The cycling I experienced as a cyclist was very different, you have to consider that we also went beyond 4.500 kilometersI even remember watching the Giro d'Italia as a child, there was a special finish line every 1.000 kilometers of the race. Those were different times.
As a rider, you lived through a very delicate cycling era, when our sport was in the eye of the storm due to doping scandals. There was much discussion at the time about whether, to combat this scourge, it wouldn't be necessary to reduce not only the mileage but also the number of race days in the Grand Tours. Is this a theory still being advocated in the cycling world?
No, it's an idea that has gradually disappeared. I remember that some time ago there were still those who thought of leaving the Tour to 3 weeks and reducing the Giro and Vuelta to 2, But clearly this possibility has never been considered. Reducing the number of race days in the Grand Tours would have no impact; the real battle against doping is fought elsewhere. It must be said that times have changed profoundly in this regard because the entire cycling world, in all its components, has worked towards this.
You were vice president of the Runners' Association: what is the athletes' position on the length of the stages?
More than on this, the common opinion was that we should work on the race days, as has actually been done throughout the year, not on the individual stage races. We cannot hide the fact that in times before me, doping was common practice, and the plague was fought precisely by finding a regulation shared by all. Cheating is difficult these days, which is why it's even more scandalous when it happens. But in this regard, there's a recent incident that I consider exemplary.
What?
On November 6th, we were in Dubai for the criterium. When we arrived, the local organizers informed us that a ride through the city center had been added to the program for the day before. The city center was closed to traffic, something that almost never happens, because the sheikh was eager to participate. The start was scheduled for 6:00 a.m. Peter History As soon as he found out, he became alarmed, because he had given his availability for checks every day of the year between 6 and 8 and he had to immediately notify and change the hours for that dayRunners care about this in a special way and it is often overlooked that this also affects their lives as ordinary people.
Let's approach the issue of length from another perspective, that of spectacle: are we sure that shorter stages are truly more spectacular?
It depends, the show is made by the race, its evolution. It's usually thought that shorter mountain stages allow teams to put up a tougher fight, but we've seen how these "long stages" are often full of surprises, twists, and uncertainty right up until the end. Our job is to build balanced races, knowing that someone will always be unhappy, and I'm not just talking about the riders or the teams.
Who are you referring to then?
Italy is long, with 20 regions. With 3.500 kilometers at your disposal, you certainly can't please everyone. There will always be some places that get left out: For example, we have been wanting to go to Sardinia for some time, but we have to take into account the difficulties related to rest days which are practically blockedWe would really like to organize a Giro d'Italia that passes everywhere, but it's impossible.
Do television demands also influence the construction of stages and the reduction of mileage, which unfortunately are demeaning many sports, forced to concentrate each event in the space that TV allows?
This is not our case. We have a very clear agreement with the Rai, our broadcaster, so that the stages always arrive around 17,15pm. Even in Dubai, we knew the race had to finish around 4:00 PM, which would have been 1:00 PM in Europe to allow for its telecast. Our job is to ensure we arrive on time, wherever possible. We've never received any other requests from TV stations, even considering the full live coverage, and we know this is also true for other races in Italy and abroad.
Is there any chance that this international regulation will change?
We will talk about it on Friday at the usual seminar organized by the UCI with all the realitiesTeams, organizers, riders' associations, and federations are all working together, but there's no push for that. If anything changes, we'll adapt.
