A stage gravel al Giro d'Italia. Science fiction or reality? For now, it's little more than a provocation, but why not try to imagine a different scenario?
Ultimately, cycling has tried to introduce new features here and there that attract attention over the last 15 years. From the dirt stage in Montalcino at the 2010 Giro, to the revival of the Roubaix in the 2014 Tour so dear to Nibali. The grid-style start of F1 with grids, always at the Tour. And now why not ride this wave of innovation brought by this type of bike?
With the advent of disc brakes, the "designs" of specialty bikes have changed. There's more room for the wheels, wider tires can be used, and the influences of mountain biking are increasingly evident. These influences also affect training, given that many people use them.
Morton says yes
Lachlan Morton obviously he has no doubts: it could be done and it would even be nice. But it is clear that his is a biased opinion: as for Cancellara when it came to inserting sections of cobblestones into the Tour route.
«Let's talk about the Giro – he says – everything is possibleYou invented the stage on the dirt roads and other things that Initially they made people turn up their noses and now they're appreciated all over the world. Obviously, the first problem I see is for the teams, who should bring gravel bikes in addition to time trial bikes. But then I think about companies that sell more gravel bikes than time trial bikes. So maybe for once they would agree to make the exchange. Of course, on certain roads… it also works well with racing bikes and larger wheels, but it is also true that we are not talking about dirt roads, but rather mountain roads with an unworked surface».
Don't mix the cards
«I am a traditionalist – he says Alessandro De Marchi – if it's a road race, it has to be a road race. Okay the Paris-Roubaix, But I don't like the idea of mixing the two, it makes little sense. In recent years, dirt roads have often been used. Okay, there's the Strade Bianche, But that's a purpose-built, unique event. It's better to create a specific gravel race, then yes. It would be a great experience."
And we've also seen champions like Nibali and De Marchi, but also Visconti, Ulissi, Bardet... use it. Why not give it a try?
«For me they are two very different things – he claims James Nizzolo – It would distort the nature of a Giro too much. It would create too many variables for a three-week stage race. And that wouldn't be fair, in my opinion.
I dream of Etna
«If I had to speak as a spectator – he says Damian Caruso – I'd say yes. I realize it would be a real spectacle. But speaking as a rider, and even more so as a general classification rider, then I say no. Including singletrack would certainly be fun, but also a risk.
But let's think about it: we could imagine limitations on delays, that is, a ranking based solely on time bonuses or penalties regardless of the actual gap. For example, the 147th place finisher would be 3 minutes behind, the 148th 3 minutes and 02 seconds behind, and so on...
I don't believe in this solution either. The riders wouldn't take it 100% seriously given the difficulties involved. At this point, I'd prefer dedicated events. Before launching these innovations in a Giro, they should be tested in individual races.
And Damiano relaunches: «They asked me for an opinion on the arrival of the last Giro in Provençal Plan on Etna. From there, there's a dirt road that climbs to an altitude of 2.800 meters. They wanted to know if they could get up there on road bikes. I told them no, but I suggested we could do a gravel or mountain bike. It would have been great. Just imagine, only riders and helicopters. No spectators. Maybe a time trial in the future. But we must remember that the volcano is always in charge. What if Etna's fumes blew over the race that day?
A word from the mechanic
And then there's the logistics to figure out. In theory, a gravel event should be run autonomously, especially since at certain points the team cars wouldn't be able to follow the riders. There's a lot to consider.
«I believe that things would not be so simple even from a logistical point of view – says Gabriele Tosello, mechanic of Astana "In the end, it wouldn't be a problem for us strictly speaking, except for some extra work, but we'd need at least two bikes per rider. And reporting the measurements accurately wouldn't be that easy. Also, with disc brakes today, you can fit larger tires, so perhaps we could address that with a dirt stage."
Must do immediately
But for those who think one way there are also those who go against the grain, like John Ellena, sports director of Androni Toys.
«My thoughts? Well, I say that I have always been taught to put myself in other people's shoes and so I say that If I were an organizer, I wouldn't wait a moment to include a gravel stage: It would be an exceptional show. Let's look at the Strade Bianche: in just a few years it's become a reference classic. Everyone watches the Paris-Roubaix. People want heroic cycling. Dirt roads have always been impressive, always fun. I'm still furious about how things went on the day of the strike. of Morbegno (a long and rainy stage, ed.), so imagine…
"On the other hand, precisely because I put myself in other people's shoes," Ellena concludes, "if I were a team manager with a rider aiming high for the overall standings, I would have some doubts. There are months and months of work and significant investments at stake. Maybe I would stick to the dirt road sections more. But I repeat, the fans, rather than imitating the rider, idolize him. They see him as a hero."
