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Australia’s Ben O’Connor called the race organisers “dinosaurs” after a delayed and chaotic start to a shortened stage 16 at the Giro d’Italia, which was eventually won by race leader Tadej Pogacar.<\/b><\/p>\n
Slovenia’s Pogacar extended his huge lead at the top of the general classification with his fifth stage victory.<\/p>\n
However, it came after a three-hour delay to the start as riders and teams collectively refused to take the scheduled 202km route from Livigno to Santa Cristina Valgardena.<\/p>\n
That was because of safety concerns over the planned ascent and descent of the Umbrail Pass \u2013 itself a diversion from the Stelvio because of the risk of avalanches.<\/p>\n
“It’s probably one of the worst organised races I think and I’m just being honest. This would never happen in 99% of other situations,” O\u2019Connor, who is fourth overall, told Eurosport.<\/p>\n
Ineos Grenadiers’ sporting director Zak Dempster added: “It’s a bit of a farce to be honest. Safety is one of the most important things for us.<\/p>\n
“I didn’t want to put the guys through what the RCS were proposing. How we got to the right decision was an absolute total mess.”<\/p>\n
RCS Sport, which organises the Giro d’Italia, had expected the peloton to roll out of the ski resort start and ride neutralised through the Munt la Schera tunnel – but instead the race eventually began in Lasa\/Laas with the stage reduced to 118.7km.<\/p>\n
O\u2019Connor criticised Giro race director Mauro Vegni, adding: “I’d like to see him in our position, go outside on the bike and do the start of the stage and see what his answer is after those couple of hours.<\/p>\n
“I wish he could experience it because then he would have a bit of a sense of what it’s actually really like rather than turning on the climate in his car and saying this is great for people to watch.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n