Giro 2018 Jerusalem to the Vatican

ILIKEFOOD

http://www.velonews.com/2017/09/news/2018-giro-start-israel-end-vatican-city_448162

pelevin

I've heard they're going up Croagh Patrick also.

Weepsie

Froome says the Tour is his priority. I think it should be the Giro. Having all three, all at the same time would be more impressive. Wouldn't make him any more liked, but still.

irishrover99

I wonder if anyone will skip this due to security concerns or possibly boycott due to obvious other reasons

magicbastarder

pelevin wrote: »

I've heard they're going up Croagh Patrick also.

beat me to it. i was just coming in to ask if it was going via mecca.

ILIKEFOOD

Securing the Trinity would be an ecumenical matter for Froomey

Rambling Man

Nibali Nablus

eeeee

I have massive problems with this, are they just going to look the other way from the human rights abuses they're perpetrating every single day against a whole people (genocide anyone?) and nation?
From here:https://www.bicycling.com/racing/giro-ditalia-to-start-in-israel

"According to the publicity firm that issued the press release, the race is to end at the Vatican, with a theme of co-existence and peace."

How can they even state that with a straight face?

Between this and the Bahrain team, pro cycling appears to be becoming a propaganda making mercenary for regimes trying to wash the human rights abuses off their faces.

irishrover99

nee wrote: »

I have massive problems with this, are they just going to look the other way from the human rights abuses they're perpetrating every single day against a whole people

They are not blacks and not muslims so yes, unfortunately the UCI do think its alright to look the otherway. Might as well be starting this in Syria.

cunavalos

I take it that this also means one of the wild card spots will go to the Israel Cycle Academy PCT team.

Also for those wondering about a Giro - Tour double . The tour is starting a week later this year to avoid a clash with the World Cup in Russia so a six week gap between the two may aid recovery.

The Vuelta has also shifted by a week so there is still a four week break between it and the Tour.

Weepsie

nee wrote: »

I have massive problems with this, are they just going to look the other way from the human rights abuses they're perpetrating every single day against a whole people (genocide anyone?) and nation?
From here:https://www.bicycling.com/racing/giro-ditalia-to-start-in-israel

"According to the publicity firm that issued the press release, the race is to end at the Vatican, with a theme of co-existence and peace."

How can they even state that with a straight face?

Between this and the Bahrain team, pro cycling appears to be becoming a propaganda making mercenary for regimes trying to wash the human rights abuses off their faces.

How many of the products are made in China? A country with a similar and massive human rights problem towards neighbours.

retalivity

Weepsie wrote: »

Froome says the Tour is his priority. I think it should be the Giro. Having all three, all at the same time would be more impressive. Wouldn't make him any more liked, but still.

Possibly...but in froome/Skys plans, 4TDF in a row > all 3 GTs at one time.

Unless the routes for both are completely off the wall i.e. giro is to froomes liking and the tdf is off the wall mental, there is no chance he'll do the giro and scupper the 4 in a row

average_runner

Weepsie wrote: »

How many of the products are made in China? A country with a similar and massive human rights problem towards neighbours.

Was thinking that. People preaching about human rights and there they are wearing nike clothes or Levi jeans etc.

Kaisr Sose

Why not have a Ramadan stage theme as well seeing as it runs from mid-May to mid-June.

Cycling and the Giro, could be so unifying. Stages in honour of Yahweh, Jesus and Allah!

eeeee

Weepsie wrote: »

How many of the products are made in China? A country with a similar and massive human rights problem towards neighbours.

average_runner wrote: »

Was thinking that. People preaching about human rights and there they are wearing nike clothes or Levi jeans etc.

Whatabout whatabout whatabout.....

This is a very deliberate propaganda PR exercise for Israel, with one massive and glaring blindspot. And the owner of the Bahrain CT has personally tortured people. Pretty hard to support IMO. I was gutted Dan Martin went there (I know you gotta make hay when the sun shines in a short athletic career but...).

You're right about products being made in China. You can also check what factories these things come from and look up the conditions that are there, or if they have been called out on abuses, which isn't always accurate in fairness.

As an aside I don't wear Levi's or Nike :cool: It's almost impossible to be completely ethical, unless you're quite wealthy, but you can do what you can.

This is a bad move for the Giro and pro cycling ethically in general IMO.

MPFGLB

This has security crisis written all over it....

Its a dream target for your basic terrorist ...Isreal and Vatican in one ...
Does anyone care about rider safety ?

gordongekko

MPFGLB wrote: »

Does anyone care about rider safety ?

No

MPFGLB

Dan Martin has not signed for team Bahrain ...He has signed for TeamUAEAbuDhabi.

Not sure about their human rights violations (???) ...but he does get 2 million euros a year

I am sure if Nicolas Roche signed for Bahrain last year (Nibali wanted him to sign) Kimmage would have written a 3 page article on how he has let down everyone and how he should do more to clean up cycling , remove the omerta, shopall dopers and bring peace to the middle east

gordongekko

Politics and sport don't mix. We elect our politicians to deal with political issues. They haven't seen fit to punish the Bahrain or Israel so why should our sportsmen be expected to behave of a higher standard than the people we elect to deal with these issues?

Darkglasses

nee wrote: »

I have massive problems with this, are they just going to look the other way from the human rights abuses they're perpetrating every single day against a whole people (genocide anyone?) and nation?
From here:https://www.bicycling.com/racing/giro-ditalia-to-start-in-israel

"According to the publicity firm that issued the press release, the race is to end at the Vatican, with a theme of co-existence and peace."

How can they even state that with a straight face?

Between this and the Bahrain team, pro cycling appears to be becoming a propaganda making mercenary for regimes trying to wash the human rights abuses off their faces.

I guess they're trying to compete with the world cup on that front too now.

Eamonnator

nee wrote: »

I have massive problems with this, are they just going to look the other way from the human rights abuses they're perpetrating every single day against a whole people (genocide anyone?) and nation?
From here:https://www.bicycling.com/racing/giro-ditalia-to-start-in-israel

"According to the publicity firm that issued the press release, the race is to end at the Vatican, with a theme of co-existence and peace."

How can they even state that with a straight face?

Between this and the Bahrain team, pro cycling appears to be becoming a propaganda making mercenary for regimes trying to wash the human rights abuses off their faces.

Yeah, I have a problem with the race finishing in The Vatican.
The Catholic Church have been abusing Human Rights for centuries and have been responsible for more wars throughout history than any other organisation or country.

Lusk_Doyle

MPFGLB wrote: »

This has security crisis written all over it....

Its a dream target for your basic terrorist ...Isreal and Vatican in one ...
Does anyone care about rider safety ?

Your "basic" terrorist does not get within an assess roar of Israel. Fact.

ILIKEFOOD

And nor does basic provisions for the people they bomb the ****e out of. Fact

ILIKEFOOD

And nor does basic provisions for the people they bomb the ****e out of. Fact

eeeee

Politics and sport are inextricably linked, and always have been.

Lusk_Doyle

nee wrote: »

Politics and sport are inextricably linked, and always have been.

No they have not. Fact.

MPFGLB

Lusk_Doyle wrote: »

No they have not. Fact.

Hold on a minuite Lusk Doyle ....just because you write the word fact after a sentence doesnt necessarily make it true you know

Lusk_Doyle

MPFGLB wrote: »

Hold on a minuite Lusk Doyle ....just because you write the word fact after a sentence doesnt necessarily make it true you know

FACT!

No, but in all seriousness, one simply can't expect us to swallow that sports and politics have always been bedfellows with each other. That's just not true.

Lusk_Doyle

ILIKEFOOD wrote: »

And nor does basic provisions for the people they bomb the ****e out of. Fact

Agreed. That would be counter productive to their "lebensraum" expansionist program.

neris

Wonder will UAE & Bahrain merida compete with the start in Israel. ,

Weepsie

Lusk_Doyle wrote: »

FACT!

No, but in all seriousness, one simply can't expect us to swallow that sports and politics have always been bedfellows with each other. That's just not true.

But it is true. So many sports were borne out of nothing but tribalism and local politics. Some borne out of a need for people of certain identities to partake in something as they re banned from something else.

And in the last 100+ years sporting events have been repeatedly used as nothing more than PR for sketchy nations/regimes.

Cycling and ethics have never exactly been linked particularly well.

Israel's actions are reprehensible but they are also the target du jour for this outrage when there are dozens of other nations doing similar and getting completely overlooked or a free pass. Some of it boils down to plain old anti semitism that distrust of a certain ethnic people, some of it is genuine concern.

But yeah UCI should reconsider their races in California, Middle East, Turkey, Russia and China for a start, as well as Israel and the Vatican