Following the tragic death of the talented Welsh cyclist Finlay Tarling, the Portuguese public prosecutor’s office has launched a criminal investigation. In addition, a post-mortem examination has been ordered by the court on the cyclist, who was killed on Friday in a collision with a vehicle, as the judiciary confirmed upon enquiry.
According to media reports, the 19-year-old Welshman fell behind on Friday during the eighth stage from Melgaco to Fafe. In the Ponte de Lima area, whilst on a fast descent through a left-hand bend, he collided head-on with an oncoming vehicle that was not part of the race organisation. The investigation that has been launched is intended, amongst other things, to clarify how the vehicle managed to enter the race track before the safety car had passed through.
Alcohol and drug tests on motorists prove negative
The driver of the vehicle, having come from a side road, initially waited on the main road and let the main group of road cyclists pass, said a police spokesperson on the Portuguese state TV channel RTP.
When no other professional cyclists appeared at first, he asked bystanders whether the track was clear. As the bystanders had apparently mistakenly assumed that no more riders were to follow, the man turned onto the track, where he collided with Tarling shortly afterwards. A test for alcohol and drugs carried out on the rider proved negative.
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