I collect "go away" remarks, not always, but it happens. I belong to the category of journalists and cyclists, so in a world with an ever-increasing number of haters, I can say I'm a good serial collector of anathemas. Journalist and cyclist: bingo!
Considering that I'm extremely proud to belong to these two categories, I speak as a practicing cyclist and a journalist who deals with cycling and road safety. So, I'll get to the point. Yesterday's news was the
fine issued to Domenico Pozzovivo, for riding a long stretch of road alongside Diego Ulissi: thus, riding two abreast.
Let it be clear: at the moment, it's against the highway code. It's a real violation, but I perfectly understand the provocation of the Lucanian rider launched yesterday on our site. We must defend ourselves somehow. Like him, I choose not to ride a bike alone anymore (
I had told this a year ago following the murder of Giulia Cecchettin). I'm afraid, and it's statistically proven that you die less if you travel in pairs, as happens in Great Britain and other European countries. This way, it's much more difficult to reach the fateful justification "I didn't see him".
The
position taken by ACCPI, which today appealed to all journalists and media outlets, inviting them to tell road violence more and better, I have shared and supported. Just like Pozzovivo's "two abreast" position, which by riding two abreast doesn't kill anyone at all (two riders side by side occupy the space of a car!), at most saves one's skin and forces the most hurried drivers to slow down.
Road accidents are the leading cause of death in our country, and I find this unacceptable. We cannot resign ourselves to this constant and continuous slaughter.