Cycling is a dangerous sport. Last season, the online portal procyclingstats.com alone counted more than 200 injuries caused by crashes in professional races for men and women, although the list does not claim to be exhaustive. For example, it does not include the tragic death of Swiss professional Gino Mäder in the Tour de Suisse. However, it does include more than 50 people injured in training accidents. The most bizarre incident was probably the scratch caused by a blow with the handle of a revolver, which the Colombian Ivan Ramiro Sosa received from an angry lorry driver during a training ride in January 2023.
Still a considerable risk of falling in road cycling
While this episode illustrates an increase in violence on the roads, it remains a problem in cycling that cyclists are exposed to a considerable risk of falling, especially during races. Sometimes they bring each other down, as in the spectacular crash in the final stage 5 of the Tour of Poland 2023, sometimes the road conditions create additional dangers.
The first mass crash of the 2023 Tour de France on stage 14 was partly caused by the alternation of wet and dry tarmac. "It's chaos, the road is dry, wet, dry, wet, and the danger is that after weeks of dry weather, the first drops of rain together with the dust on the road make the surface super slippery. And when you brake, it's like riding on ice," said Eurosport commentator and former pro Jens Voigt, describing the scenery that led to the 25-minute neutralisation of the stage.
Safety in road cycling: multiple causes of falls
Time and again, spectators also cause accidents. On the 15th stage of the Tour, a fan provoked the fall of Jumbo pro Sepp Kuss while taking a selfie with an outstretched arm. The US-American crashed into the peloton while trying to keep his balance and triggered the classic domino effect. Crashes often result from a combination of environmental conditions and riding errors. Mark Cavendish's crash on stage 8 of the Tour, which led to a broken collarbone and the Brit's retirementAccording to Bahrain-Victorious pro Pello Bilbao, the final race was also influenced by exhaustion caused by the heat.
"That affected us all. Many were somewhat delayed in their reactions," said the Basque. So it's a good thing that the UCI has responded with a modified catalogue of measures for dealing with extreme heat. It is intended to reduce excessive stress and minimise the risk of heat-related crashes. For example, start zones can be moved into the shade or start times and routes can be changed. The new protocol should be officially adopted at the end of January.
More care for cyclists
This also includes the so-called concussion protocol. It regulates that racers are immediately checked for concussions after crashes before they continue. For this purpose, small cards are distributed among race doctors and teams, on which the steps of an immediate examination are noted. Anyone who loses consciousness, vomits or suffers from cramps and convulsions is immediately removed from the race; this also applies to athletes who experience at least one symptom such as headache, nausea or weakness and who also fail cognitive tests, such as touching the tip of their nose with their index finger while their eyes are closed.
The background to this is provided by studies, particularly in rugby and football players: a statistically relevant accumulation of dementia and Alzheimer's disease as well as other cognitive impairments was found in victims of concussions. If this protocol had already been in force at the 2023 World Cycling Championships, Stefan Küng, for example, would not have been allowed to continue the individual time trial after a crash. After colliding with barrier fences, the Swiss rider reached the finish line covered in blood and with a broken helmet.
Racers should be checked for concussions immediately after a crash before continuing.
New regulations for more safety in road cycling
"It's crazy that we're still making the same and even bigger mistakes years later," commented Toms Skujins on the incident. The Latvian alluded to his crash at the 2017 Tour of California. Back then, he got back on his bike despite an obvious loss of consciousness, crashed again, ran for his glasses and almost collided with other riders chasing down a descent. He should never have got back on his bike. "Professional cyclists are characterised by their ability to suffer and their strong will. But sometimes you have to protect them from themselves," said former Giro winner Tao Geoghegan Hart after Stefan Küng's crash.
The new regulation can provide this protection. Bora boss Ralph Denk welcomes the move: "In the past, this was handled far too laxly. I'm not a doctor, but our medical department says that there can be long-term consequences if you fall on your head." Adam Hansen, President of the riders' union CPA, fears problems with implementation: "It often takes a long time during the race for a team car or the race doctor to get to a rider who has fallen. By then, the rider is long back on the bike. There is also the fear of being taken out of the race." The Australian, himself a professional for 20 years and with the experience of 29 Grand Tours, pleads for more prevention: "We need to educate athletes better and point out the long-term consequences."
Capricious weather conditions can also pose a safety risk
In addition to the new set of rules for bad weather conditions, Hansen proposes very practical measures to prevent rider exhaustion, which can lead to crashes: "In cold weather and rain, when the riders can't even pull the zips properly with their freezing fingers, the organisers could distribute warm race clothing to the peloton. The race could be briefly neutralised for this. That would be more effective than having the sporting directors supply each rider individually. That takes longer and the stress of getting back into the peloton is great."
Additional water bottles will be handed out in hot weather; race doctors and stewards will also have enough water bottles in their cars to keep racers hydrated. "We already have such an agreement with the Tour Down Under," explains Hansen. Ralph Denk, on the other hand, warns against interpreting the bad weather protocol too strictly. "I hope that the right balance is found between heat and cold. Cycling is an outdoor sport. You have to be able to cope with certain conditions," he says, referring to iconic stages such as the snowy ride over the Gavia Pass in the 1988 Giro d'Italia, where US rider Andrew Hampsten laid the foundations for his overall victory because his Team 7 Eleven had taken precautions with warm clothing and hot tea in temperatures around freezing point.
Drive to the crash
Another important aspect is the route itself. The UCI regulations have already banned steep finishing straights for bunch sprints. However, there have been some, such as the Fabio Jakobsen's horror crash at the Tour of Poland 2020 or in the finale of stage 3 of the 2021 Tour, when Caleb Ewan and Peter Sagan crashed. "The rules simply have to be enforced consistently," demands Denk. It's not always easy for the organisers.
Fabian Wegmann, Sporting Director of the Tour of Germany, says with a view to the upcoming tour: "We had to change a finish area for this very reason. There wasn't enough space where we originally wanted the finish. Further back, where there was more space, we would have had a sloping finishing straight. So we rode the last lap in a different direction. The climb is not as attractive there, but it's safer."
Further security problems
Incidentally, the ban on downhill finishes is not synonymous with no longer allowing bunch sprints after descents. Both Denk and Hansen consider this to be feasible, especially in mountain stages: "If the finish is in the valley after three mountains, the riders will arrive at the front in small groups; the peloton will ride down in safety mode," says Adam Hansen. Last year, acoustic warning signals in front of danger spots proved their worth. "People with warning flags are not always well positioned. And they are only seen well by the drivers in front. Automatic acoustic signals are better. They are also easy to hear because they have a frequency that differs from other sounds," praises Hansen.
He calls on organisers and the UCI to use the same signalling system with the same tones at all races in order to ensure better recognition. The world governing body and ASO, organisers of the Tour de France among others, did not comment on this proposal when asked. One unsolved problem is - incomprehensibly - the design of the barriers. The UCI still does not prescribe a variant, although the grids with the flat feet have proven to be the safest.
The reason for the hesitation is probably that the safer barriers are more expensive and that organisers of smaller races in particular could be financially overstretched. Hansen also suspects that the UCI fears that it could be sued for damages in the event of an accident if it decides on certain barriers. In races such as the Deutschland Tour, at least the last 300 metres before and 100 metres after the finish line are shielded with the safe barriers, assures Fabian Wegmann.
Safety in road cycling: a self-critical look
Hansen sees the SafeR Commission as the most important change for the upcoming season: "It will start work in February. These are independent experts who will analyse safety at World Tour, Women's World Tour and Pro Tour races and summarise their findings in a new manual for race organisers." The commission will be funded proportionally by organisers, teams, riders and the UCI. Hansen expects that not only aspects such as barriers and weather protocols will be taken into account, but also how vehicles should behave in the convoy and in the race will be more clearly defined.
There were also a few incidents last season. A police motorbike picked off spectators at the Tour of Poland and support vehicles collided in a convoy. However, the rider representative also sees a need to learn from his own clientele. "I was on board the bus at team meetings last season. I noticed that the sporting directors made very good and precise announcements about danger spots. While the older and more experienced professionals took a closer look at a few spots in the apps, the younger ones were not paying attention," he criticises. So the best news is that the drivers' union CPA finally has a boss who really cares, who criticises and demands, but who also wants to be part of the solution with confidence.
