
A crash 70 km from the finish line today completely disrupted the sixth stage, with the jury deciding to neutralize the race to protect the riders. Too many cyclists ended up on the ground, about 30, and some of them were forced to withdraw.
Speaking after the finish line is Mauro Vegni, director of the Giro d'Italia, who wanted to emphasize the collaboration between all parties to find the best solution.
"We told the riders we would restart and I can say that we never had any discussions with them."
Vegni wanted to explain how a wet asphalt, but not excessively so, in the southern areas often becomes extremely treacherous. "That's why we decided to neutralize the stage until the finish. Even I started to slip when I got out of the car, it was really difficult to stay on your feet at that moment."
The roads had no potholes and there were no reckless or dangerous actions by the riders, who instead had to deal with a crash where many suffered damage.
"The asphalt, as you can see, was nicely compact, but it was slippery and this often happens in these parts when it rains little. If the asphalt doesn't get properly wet, unfortunately it becomes treacherous, but I repeat, we had no discussion with the riders, we listened to and supported them, and the choice was made in a shared manner."