Giro di Padania - WTF?

[Flying_Monkey]

There is a new tour this year, going on right now.

'So what?' I hear you ask.

Well, this tour is just a little bit weird.

The Giro di Padania is organised and backed by representatives of the Lega Nord, a separatist right-wing group that has gained prominence and some power in Italy in the last few years. There is no such place as 'Padania', it's a made-up region comprising the north of Italy, whose wealthy supporters want to split from the central and southern parts. The thing is that party is also racist and fascist in orientation, and the whole new tour is based around generating support for their goals - even the leader's jersey is in the party's colours.

Now, we all know that Italy's politics are crazy anyway, and most of my Italian friends are generally just embarrassed about the state of the country, but this would seem to be several steps too far into the political corruption of sport.

What does everyone else think?

 

[Shadow]

There is a new tour this year, going on right now.

'So what?' I hear you ask.

Well, this tour is just a little bit weird.

The Giro di Padania is organised and backed by representatives of the Lega Nord, a separatist right-wing group that has gained prominence and some power in Italy in the last few years. There is no such place as 'Padania', it's a made-up region comprising the north of Italy, whose wealthy supporters want to split from the central and southern parts. The thing is that party is also racist and fascist in orientation, and the whole new tour is based around generating support for their goals - even the leader's jersey is in the party's colours.

Now, we all know that Italy's politics are crazy anyway, and most of my Italian friends are generally just embarrassed about the state of the country, but this would seem to be several steps too far into the political corruption of sport.

What does everyone else think?

 

[Shadow]

Oops - sorry about that.

Very weird, very italian, as you say.

Shouldn't this be in P&L too?!

 

[dan_bo]

What colour is the leaders' jersey? Brown?

 

[Noodley]

They are part of the coalition government, it would be worse if the LibDems got involved in the Tour of the tiny bit of Britain that would still vote for them...

 

[oldroadman]

Green leader jersey, the party colour. It's just a bike race, teams are contracted, get on with it. If the backers have a political motive, are they any different from a commercial backer who has a commercial motive? I look forward to the Circuit of Scotland, supported and financed by SNP and organised by A.Salmond, with a blue jersey complete with saltaire for the leader, in support of their bid for independence. And the Ras de Cymru is already there, just needs Plaid Cymru support - bargain for all the publicity the demos will bring!

 

[Flying_Monkey]

If the backers have a political motive, are they any different from a commercial backer who has a commercial motive?

Clearly yes, especially if they are fascists.

 

[Flying_Monkey]

Shouldn't this be in P&L too?!

It doesn't exist any more, and this is about cycle racing. I guess it has the same relationship to the actual business of racing as talking about doping does. It's an ethical question related to racing.

 

[oldroadman]

Clearly yes, especially if they are fascists.

On that basis, the Tour of Spain should never have happened whilst Franco was in charge of the country!

 

[Buddfox]

I'm not a supporter but the characterisation of Lega Nord is somewhat over the top. They're not fascists by any stretch or racist (in fact the first coloured mayor in Italy was a member of Lega Nord) and the policy of dividing Italy is oft stated in the arguments as to why they're a bit mad but no-one in Italy really takes it that seriously (at least not in the circles I move in anyway) and it's not part of their front line policy. Their membership is in line with for example the more right wing elements of the conservative party in the UK, which I wouldn't characterise as fascist. Anti-immigration for example, but not fascist. Italy is a bit more right wing than the UK in general and Lega Nord is a major coalition partner to PdL. As someone said, it's a bit like the Lib Dems sponsoring a tour here.

It's not nearly as big a deal as you're making out.

 

[Flying_Monkey]

I'm not a supporter but the characterisation of Lega Nord is somewhat over the top. They're not fascists by any stretch or racist (in fact the first coloured mayor in Italy was a member of Lega Nord) and the policy of dividing Italy is oft stated in the arguments as to why they're a bit mad but no-one in Italy really takes it that seriously (at least not in the circles I move in anyway) and it's not part of their front line policy. Their membership is in line with for example the more right wing elements of the conservative party in the UK, which I wouldn't characterise as fascist. Anti-immigration for example, but not fascist. Italy is a bit more right wing than the UK in general and Lega Nord is a major coalition partner to PdL. As someone said, it's a bit like the Lib Dems sponsoring a tour here.

It's not nearly as big a deal as you're making out.

Sorry, but that's really naive and incorrect too. It is not like the Lib Dems sponsoring or Tour of even the nationalist parties that exist. What it would be like would be this: a party sets up demanding the independence of the south of England from the rest. It invents a name for this region of 'Southanglia' and a spurious racial and cultural heritage (and yes, the LN did do this - I've read the research on their background and ideology), they gain election on a plaftorm of virulent anti-immigration, and a never-quite stated openly but clearly more authoritarian form of government. They then set up a 'Tour of Southanglia' bike race, which promotes the idea of their politics, and even has a leader's jersey in the party colours.

 

[oldroadman]

Sorry, but that's really naive and incorrect too. It is not like the Lib Dems sponsoring or Tour of even the nationalist parties that exist. What it would be like would be this: a party sets up demanding the independence of the south of England from the rest. It invents a name for this region of 'Southanglia' and a spurious racial and cultural heritage (and yes, the LN did do this - I've read the research on their background and ideology), they gain election on a plaftorm of virulent anti-immigration, and a never-quite stated openly but clearly more authoritarian form of government. They then set up a 'Tour of Southanglia' bike race, which promotes the idea of their politics, and even has a leader's jersey in the party colours.

The Lega Lombardia have been separatist for years as well, they don't want all the poor south of Italy draining the rich north. Politics, and Italian ones at that. Can't take it seriously when the top man is an ancient with dyed hair and spurious 18 year old "nieces". The country is a bit of a shambles, but carries on. Like Belgium, no government formed for months but everything goes on quite well. Which suggests there is, somewhere, a reasonably competent civil service, even in Italy!

 

[LosingFocus]

Sorry, but that's really naive and incorrect too. It is not like the Lib Dems sponsoring or Tour of even the nationalist parties that exist. What it would be like would be this: a party sets up demanding the independence of the south of England from the rest. It invents a name for this region of 'Southanglia' and a spurious racial and cultural heritage (and yes, the LN did do this - I've read the research on their background and ideology), they gain election on a plaftorm of virulent anti-immigration, and a never-quite stated openly but clearly more authoritarian form of government. They then set up a 'Tour of Southanglia' bike race, which promotes the idea of their politics, and even has a leader's jersey in the party colours.

So you would kick off if Plaid Cymru held and sponsored Tour Of Wales then? Just swap out centre-right "authoritarian" for centre-left "libertarian"

 

[Flying_Monkey]

So you would kick off if Plaid Cymru held and sponsored Tour Of Wales then? Just swap out centre-right "authoritarian" for centre-left "libertarian"

I think you have missed just about all the points I was making. Wales has a real history (as does Lombardy BTW) and it is a recognised entity in British constitutional law, and if you can't tell why authoritarian politics is particularly ethically problematic, particularly in the context of Italy's recent past, then I would suggest that you need to go and read some history. Having said that, I would find it rather disturbing if Plaid Cymru used any Tour of Wales to promote their political party.

In general, yes, Italy is a political basket-case, and all of my Italian friends can only respond with embarrassment and frustration when asked about it by their foreign acquaintances... which is all the more reason why we should try to keep cycling well separated.

 

[Buddfox]

Sorry, but that's really naive and incorrect too. It is not like the Lib Dems sponsoring or Tour of even the nationalist parties that exist. What it would be like would be this: a party sets up demanding the independence of the south of England from the rest. It invents a name for this region of 'Southanglia' and a spurious racial and cultural heritage (and yes, the LN did do this - I've read the research on their background and ideology), they gain election on a plaftorm of virulent anti-immigration, and a never-quite stated openly but clearly more authoritarian form of government. They then set up a 'Tour of Southanglia' bike race, which promotes the idea of their politics, and even has a leader's jersey in the party colours.

No need to apologise! Your post demonstrates a reasonable level of ignorance of politics in Italy and Lega Nord in particular, which is fine since I'm guessing you've never lived there? Reading about the background and idealogy doesn't give you any sense for how Lega is viewed in Italy, nor how politics works there. No point in getting dragged into a political debate here, but the concept of a Tour of Padania would seem as natural to any Italian (including those from the south) as a Tour of Britain. Most people would just laugh and carry on - kind of the Italian way - and treat it for what it is, a bike race, and enjoy the cycling. It's just the way it is there / here (I live in Milan half the time).