….. As a former insider and leader of pro cycling completely divorced from the sport, Acquarone is a passionate observer now free to speak his mind ….. Michele Acquarone was a well-known name in this sport seven years ago, though now his name is unfamiliar to most people. Named in 2011 to head the Giro d’Italia, the world’s second largest bike race, at age 36, Acquarone quickly made a name for himself, primarily through new and radical ideas about better ways to promote and market the sport. He was recently described by Jonathan Vaughters in his book One Way Ticket as “a visionary soul.” Falsely charged with misdirecting RCS corporate funds in late 2013, Acquarone was fired, and endured six years of suspicion, economic and personal hardship before his name was finally cleared by the sluggish Italian court system just two months ago. Acquarone laments his departure from the cycling...
