Open letter to Gilberto Simoni:
In the past few days, your words and actions have been to the effect that
you want to go home, you resent the TTT rules, you hate the Tour. Such
words absolutely should not be coming out of the mouth of a two-time Grand
Tour champion who is leading one of the top Italian teams, but I personally
have to be sympathetic because I can only begin to imagine how hard it must
be to endure a Tour de France that is this difficult, uncertain and
stressful. The exclusions of Danilo di Luca and now Stefano Casagranda
cannot be good for the morale, either, and nor could the abandons of
Alessandro Petacchi and Mario Cipollini.
But you must not give in, because there is no other Italian who is better
qualified to make an impression on this Tour de France. You have a duty to
your country, to your team, to the memory of Pantani. I defy you to think
of a climbing specialist who is in a better position than you are at this
moment. Mayo? Moreau? Azevedo? Absolutely not! This is a Tour that
suits an attacking rider to a tee. Stranger things have happened than an
Italian coming from behind to win the Tour.
I suggest respectfully that it is in your best interest to stop complaining,
suffer for a few more days with everyone else (and particularly those who
came to sacrifice themselves for you), face your fears and be the hero.
Challenge Armstrong, and beat him. Make him settle for second. Even if you
ultimately fail having given your all, you will be a hero. Drop out now,
and you will never be forgiven by your many, many fans.
Let us all see that wonderful megawatt smile in Paris.
-Sonarrat.