Originally Posted by
guadzilla
No, sometimes profanity makes an emphatic point far more effectively than beating around the bush does. And only a reasoned argument gets a reasoned response. An overly-dramatic statement full of hyperbole gets a response in kind.
I am not an expert - I have an opinion, just as everyone else does. But I dont go around pretending that my point of view is the only correct one and that the other party has nothing valid about what they think. You can choose to believe one side or the other and at the same time accept that the opposing point of view has some validity. Arguing opinions is one thin - but when you start making statements that completely dismiss the opinion of the race director of the Giro on nothing other than "I say so", then I have to ask why "I say so" carries any weight.
Look at the history and the genesis of Grand Tours. They were meant to be epic rides, the ultimate test of endurance and willpower and all the other cliches. So now, riders are complaining about having to spend a couple of hours in a bus, getting the latest nutrition and massages while they are transferred to/from their hotel rooms. Sure, it is inconvenient. But the "death of professional cycling"? GMAFB.
You really think helmet use is a fair comparison? That making the ride harder is somehow the same as going back to the days of riding without a helmet? You really think requiring riders to ride 6-7 hours a day (after which they get sports massages/top level nutrition/etc) is on the same thing as asking them to ride without a helmet? Straw man much?
If you do think so, then you exemplify what I mean about an overall culture which is responsible for the [strike 2] of pretty much everything, where "inconvenient" and "dangerous" are used interchangeably.
Now following what you said about today's riders being offered more convenience than the riders of old then is it that shocking that when inconvenience is introduced there might be a reaction? Whether their complaints are justified or not are what need to be assessed rather than just being dismissed with comments like HTFU and other kneejerk reactions. The sport has changed since the GTs of old so I would question the validity of making that comparison, and my helmet comment was only for effect to point out that to some helmets were viewed as move to the "pussification" of the sport even though it was for safety. I'm not on the side of the riders per se, I'm just not quick to dismiss feedback from the people actually participating in the sport.