The director of the Algarve Tour admitted this Thursday the need for “a more robust structure”, considering that the annulment of the first stage was “the evil possible” so as not to harm cyclists who did not cut the goal.
“It is a fact that we analyzed several images, we tried to perceive internally what led to this that happened. We realize that it is a set of small errors. Of course, the organization has to assume. As responsible for the organization, we have to take over our part, ”said Sérgio Sousa.
The director of the organization spoke to journalists in Lagoa, the starting point of the second stage, in the aftermath of the annulment of the first taken on Wednesday, after dozens of cyclists followed the deviation of cars and failed the goal in lakes.
“We are aware, along with the teams, with the athletes, that we provided all the information that correctly indicated how it was the deviation of the cars, which would have to make the roundabout on the left side, but, unfortunately, at the time of deviation from cars, There was a hesitation of our human part, the organization, ”he said.
The director of ‘Algarvia’ also admits that the bikes in front of the race may also have misled the cyclists.
“Cycling, at that speed, is actually enough for the first cyclist to take the wrong trajectory that the whole platoon later goes after. They eventually left the deviations of the support cars, because it was there that we would have to make the filter, who can get on the goal of the goal and who can not. It was a procedure that went less well, ”he lamented.
Now, Sérgio Sousa says the organization will “surely reinforce the issue of diversion of cars.”
“We realize that we have to have a more robust structure, have greater attention right now, but it costs me to attribute all responsibility to the organization, because there is a set of factors behind it that led this to happen, namely […] The instinct to follow a motorcycle that followed the deviation of support cars, ”he noted.
For the official, the decision of the College of Commissioners to nullify the stage was difficult, but as possible to the regulations.
“It turns out to be the only way we had to replace these 92 cyclists that yesterday [quarta-feira] They did not pass the goal line. It is a possible evil. We are aware that yesterday’s stage was not decisive for the overall classification of and for the final outcome of this turn to the Algarve, it turns out to be a smaller evil in this regard, ”he showed.
The option to nullify the stage, however, penalized the Italian Filippo Ganna (Ineos), the first to cut the goal on the right course, with the decision of the college to be widely criticized in the platoon.
“I logically understand this posture and this vision, but what is certain is that we all have the conscience that sports truth was not tied there and this is not our way of being in cycling either. Above all, it should prevail a good sports show, a television show, and in fact it didn’t happen, ”he said.
At the outset for the second stage, which ends at Alto da Fóia, Ganna also spoke to journalists, merely saying that “the decision that had to be made was made.”
“Obviously, it would have been good to win,” he said, less annoyed than the day before, when he refused to climb to the podium to symbolically wear the yellow.
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