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.