TOUR: You said in an interview that there is no communication when it comes to safety at bike races. How can that be after years of discussions?
Hansen: I think because we are working with too many different parties. There's the UCI with the rules, the organisers, of which there are many, who have their own style, then the bikes at the different races who have their own idea of what's safe for the cyclist. And then there are the riders, who I think know what's safe because they experience everything at different races and see the crashes first hand and know the cause of the crash. A bit of communication between the riders and the other parties could be very helpful.
TOUR: After the fall of Fabio Jakobsen At the Tour of Poland 2020, the UCI introduced a safety manager - has this improved safety at cycling races?
Hansen: Not that I knew - I didn't realise we had one.
Cycling race safety: the UCI or the race organiser are not listening
TOUR: You've spoken to the riders a lot in recent weeks. What was the main problem you addressed?
Hansen: The main theme was that there are many small things that can be changed that would make a big difference. The riders have told me what they think would help, but it seems they are falling on deaf ears. I've been a rider myself and I know exactly what they mean, but the UCI or the race organiser don't listen. It has to do with communication, because the riders feel that they are not heard and not valued.
TOUR: You have called for the UCI to draw up a set of rules with safety standards to improve safety at cycling races. What exactly could the UCI stipulate in these rules?
Hansen: For example, it could be that the sponsor boards attached to the barriers overlap instead of having a small gap. If they overlap, a sprinter can't get his hand caught when it comes to a sprint and he gets so close that he touches them. It's something so small, so simple, that costs nothing and would prevent a few crashes. If a bike has to go back behind the peloton and can't get off the road, instead of stopping on the road, it could go at a slow pace so it gets swallowed up by the peloton. This gives the riders more time to react and the bike comes back much slower. Or if there is an obstacle on the road, the person recognises it and doesn't stand directly in front of it, but 40 metres in front of it so that the riders have more time to react. These are just a few examples that I believe the UCI or the race organisers have no idea about and that would prevent many accidents.
Timekeeping five kilometres before the finish
TOUR: You suggested that the time for the overall classification be taken five kilometres before the finish in order to reduce the danger in the sprint. Have you received any feedback from the UCI?
Hansen: Yes, and also from the race organisers. They also believe that on a stage where a city pays for the finish to be in a more technical finale, a rule should be introduced. So if you allow a technical finale, it would be good if there was such a rule so that 150 riders don't race across the roads in the finale, but the risk of a crash is reduced.
Kristian Bauer
Editor
