Beaten by the weather conditions, the organizers announced Tuesday that they were scratching from Friday's route the Col du Grand-Saint-Bernard, which, from the top of its 2,469 meters, should have been the "Cima Coppi", that is to say the highlight, of this 106th edition.

The area is subject to a significant avalanche risk, which would not have been eliminated by clearing the roads. The passage through this pass was from the beginning a gamble since over the last ten years, it was officially opened to traffic only between May 29 and June 14.

The runners will therefore pass through the tunnel, located 600 meters below.

The episode is yet another twist in this Giro to which nothing seems to be spared.

And it may not be over. Because it has snowed a lot on the Alps in recent days, the third week, very mountainous, also promises to be acrobatic.

The penultimate stage, a hill time trial leading to Monte Lussari, a small postcard town, gives the organizers particularly cold sweats, because of the weather conditions but also the very narrow road that leads to the summit located at 1766 meters.

In the meantime, it's raining. And not just a little.

"Where is the sun?"

For several days, the riders have been returning soaked and refrigerated after each stage.

"I don't hate the rain but now it's starting to do a lot. It's raining all the time. Where is the sun?" asked German sprinter Pascal Ackerman on Tuesday.

A few minutes later, the peloton once again set off under downpours. And the new leader of the general classification, the British Geraint Thomas, regretted that we would not see "much" his pink jersey, hidden by the raincoat he was about to wear all day.

Discussions even took place before the start to, at least, shorten the stage which, the day after the rest day, passed through a pass at more than 1,500 m altitude where torrential rains, gusts of 80 km / h and a temperature of 3 degrees were announced. In vain.

Primoz Roglic, the Slovenian rider from Jumbo-Visma, during the ninth stage of the Giro 2023, a 35km individual time trial between Savignano sul Rubicone and Cesena, May 14, 2023 © Luca Bettini / AFP

Due to its position in the calendar, the Giro is regularly exposed to the vagaries of the weather. But this year, the weather is particularly rotten.

These weather conditions further weaken the organisms already strained by the extreme demands of a three-week race.

In the peloton, it coughs a lot. Dozens of riders have fallen ill, whether Thibaut Pinot or Tuesday Alexandr Vlasov, and abandonments are multiplying.

And here is also the Covid that is starting to wreak havoc again.

Evenepoel, a lack of respect?

Nine riders have already left the race following a positive test. On Tuesday, Italy's Domenico Pozzovivo and Norway's Sven Erik Bystrom were added to a list that is growing by the day.

The virus especially devastated the main headliner, the Belgian Remco Evenepoel, who announced his retirement on Sunday evening when he had just won the second time trial and resumed the pink jersey.

A big blow there too for the organizers of RCS. And on Tuesday, La Gazetta dello Sport, which belongs to the same group, blamed the Belgian for a lack of respect for not having warned the race management ahead of his statement announcing his retirement.

The sports newspaper is also surprised "that the Covid bubble only floats over the head of the Giro" and that other sports such as football or tennis seem to be spared, most of the time because they simply no longer carry out tests.

With the abandonment of the health protocol, nothing in the regulations obliges cycling teams either to do tests or even to arrest their riders affected by the virus.

British rider Geraint Thomas, leader of the general classification, before the start of the tenth stage of the Giro 2023, 196km between Scandiano and Viareggio, May 16, 2023 © Luca Bettini / AFP

But most prefer to use the precautionary principle. Even if it means casting doubt on the size of the peloton at the finish in Rome on May 28.

"I'm happy to still be in the race and healthy. But the road is still long to Rome, fingers crossed," said Australian Kaden Groves.

© 2023 AFP