When assessing, whether hot-headed or with hindsight, the decision to neutralize the times on the Naples stage, you first need to grasp the context. And it wasn’t just a passing rain shower.
Contrary to what many believe, the tarmac becomes more dangerous not under a heavy downpour, but when a fine drizzle wets it without “cleaning.” Think of the grime from exhausts, the oils and residues that, despite Euro 5 and Euro 6 standards, build up on the road surface. On dry ground you have grip. In a heavy rain, the water washes away the muck and the surface—though wet—retains decent traction. But when the water is scant and uneven, it creates a lethal film of water, oil, and tire residue. An explosive mix.
Moreover, by the coast the salty air makes the asphalt even smoother—hence why in Naples, on certain stretches, the peloton was sliding as if on ice.
In these conditions you crash even on the straights. You don’t need to touch the brakes, contrary to what the commentators said: a tiny dip is enough to make the bike vanish from under you. The bones that take the impact are almost always the hip and elbow—fractures lurk around every corner. And for the riders behind there’s no escape: brake and you go down, don’t brake and you still go down.
Could this have been avoided? No—it was unpredictable. I’ve experienced it myself during group rides: it strikes without warning. The culprit is pollution you can’t see, working just beneath the water’s surface. I recall in Germany a chain-reaction crash of about fifty riders for the same reason, and a similar incident in a race in Poland. In an instant you see teammates going down and realize there’s nothing you can do. Even brushing the brake lever means you start tumbling.
Could different wheels make you safer? No. Whether you’re on a 21 mm tubular at 9 bar or a 30 mm tubeless at 4 bar, the result is the same. In fact, wider tires can disperse the already-limited grip and make slipping even worse.
That’s why I appreciated the neutralization: I know too well what it feels like to be riding in those absurdly risky conditions, one crash potentially turning tragic. No ranking is worth a broken hip or weeks in the hospital.
The only true solution is to reduce car and heavy-vehicle traffic. It’s a much broader discussion, but in the end, the bicycle may well be the key to a better future.
