Gianni Bugno beat David Millar by a voting score of 379 votes to 96. You could describe the process as unrepresentative, feudal, rigged, a joke — but whatever, that’s the lame, faux rider’s union circa 2018.
There was last minute talk of an electronic ballot that would actually let all the riders have a vote for who represents them but Bugno put the abash on that.
Even Chris Froome was annoyed enough to protest — a move we out down to a genuine desire for a functioning union and the need to put some polish on his image after the battering it took with his salbutamol case and shocking, out-of-the-blue exoneration.
But forget Froome and the sensible, modern idea of an electronic vote — unless the Russian riders are going to do something fun and give Putin even more power in the sports world.
Best friends? Not.
No, this race for president of the rider’s union should have been just that: a real race, mano-a-mano on bikes.
Our proposal was inspired by the Cancellara-Phil Gaimon motorized doping battle that lead to a heavily hyped, mildly entertaining showdown at one of Fabian’s Chasing Cancellara bike events. The young Gaimon, a career domestique, easily took the prize, dropping Spartacus when the road went uphill.
That’s the way the Bugno vs Millar selection should have happened. Cross the line first, winner take all and forget this bullshit rigged voting block stuff.
While both are retired pro riders, the edge clearly goes to the 41 year old English man who is 13 years younger than Bugno and still looks almost as slim and trim as he did when he was a time trial champion. By contrast, the winner of the 1990 Giro d’Italia is well into middle age.
However, we can even up the odds with come creative workarounds. We suggest that Bugno ride a brand new, top of the line Pinarello Dogma while Millar saddles up on a vintage 1990 oder steel bike from back in the day’s of Bugno’s Chateau d’Ax squad.
That should even things up and we’ll make sure the Moser has a rusting chain and a dodgy derailleur. That should make this a real fair and square battle.
Then we’ll have a true and deserving winner for president of the rider’s union. Anything else is a joke.
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