The affiliation of race organisers (AIOCC) held its Normal Meeting in Italy on Friday with security the primary level of debate after a season that noticed Muriel Furrer die following a crash on the World Championships and Tour de France contenders severely injured in a mass crash within the Itzulia Basque Nation.
Christian Prudhomme, the final director of the Tour de France, blamed the Itzulia crash on the pace of the peloton.
“Past the conduct of the athletes and the work of the organisers, it’s completely obligatory to cut back pace by acceptable measures: the riders are going too quick,” Prudhomme emphasised.
“The quicker they go, the better the chance and the extra they endanger themselves and others. We already mentioned it right here final yr: our automotive and bike drivers not have a security margin! Think about the results if considered one of our drivers, subjected to an excessive amount of strain, misplaced management on a descent from a cross or when racing by way of a built-up space.”
Very like throughout the UCI Congress, the topic of Muriel Fisher’s tragic dying introduced security into focus within the assembly, with race radios among the many matters.
UCI President David Lappartient responded to a query in regards to the federation’s plan to cut back using earpieces within the peloton by asserting that there are fewer crashes on the earth championships the place earpieces should not allowed.
Lappartient mentioned that groups argue in favour of earpieces over security issues, however shot again that groups all inform their riders to maneuver up on the identical time earlier than a important a part of the course, which causes crashes, and pointed to the radios riders put on on their backs as having the potential to trigger spinal fractures.
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“I’ve additionally had riders write to me who do not essentially need me to publish their names – the bulk will wish to preserve the earpieces – however there are nonetheless a variety of riders who take into account that it is a component that contributes to a certain quantity of stress within the peloton.
“I believe it is a bit of a disgrace that some individuals wish to draw a conclusion from a dramatic fall reminiscent of that of Muriel Furrer, which is below investigation by the police,” he mentioned, including that an earpiece won’t have helped.
He did recommend that GPS trackers may very well be used sooner or later to ship an alert when a rider’s pace has dropped to zero.
“There are a number of choices, there may be a riders’ radio that will transmit security data to the riders,” he mentioned, moderately than a two-way radio that will enable groups to ship strategic directions to the riders.
Lappartient additionally mentioned the new yellow card system that can start to result in sanctions on groups and riders for security rule violations throughout races after a profitable trial throughout the 2024 season.
He mentioned the UCI has taken suggestions from riders and he agreed there’s some calibration to be carried out on the scheme. Race officers might be skilled in order that penalties are imposed constantly between races.
