Cyclists protest safety at Giro di Lombardia over vehicle incidents

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 10 Oct, 13:13 · Archive

Riders at the Giro di Lombardia delayed the race start by five minutes to protest safety concerns following vehicle incidents that have injured and killed cyclists.

Riders at the Giro di Lombardia in Italy staged a five-minute protest on Saturday by remaining stationary after organisers completed the countdown and waved the starting flag. The peloton remained motionless in Bergamo, creating confusion among spectators before eventually setting off for Como after the second starting signal.

Remco Evenepoel, Belgium's double Olympic champion, addressed the crowd to explain the protest. "There's too many incidents happening with vehicles in the race," he said. He highlighted the death of British cyclist Finlay Tarling, who died in a collision with a vehicle during the Volta a Portugal on 14 August. "We cannot keep accepting the fact that guys are getting injured or literally dying in what we like the most to do," Evenepoel added.

The CPA union, which represents professional cyclists, issued a statement saying "this week alone, there were multiple incidents of vehicles on race courses." It referenced Thomas Gloag and Marcel Camprubi being struck by a police motorcycle travelling in the opposite direction during the Tre Valli Varesine earlier in the week. The CPA called on the UCI and race organisers to "take responsibility" and improve safety standards. The statement was shared on social media by riders including Evenepoel and Great Britain's Tom Pidcock.

How it is being reported

• 'We lost the life of a brother' - rider protest delays Giro di LombardiaRiders at the Giro di Lombardia stage a protest over safety concerns which delays the start of the race for five minutes.BBC News · 10 Oct, 12:57
• Riders stage safety protest before Giro di Lombardia: ‘We will not stand for this’Peloton’s Evenepoel highlights death of Finlay Tarling ‘We cannot keep accepting riders getting injured or dying’ Riders at the Giro di Lombardia staged a brief protest on Saturday, delaying the start of the race by five minutes to draw attention to safety concerns following a series of incidents involving non-race vehicles. After organisers completed the countdown for the start, the peloton remained stationary, creating a moment of confusion before Remco Evenepoel addressed the crowd. “There’s too many incidents happening with vehicles in the race,” said Belgium’s double Olympic champion.…The Guardian · 10 Oct, 12:16

In this story: Remco Evenepoel · Finlay Tarling · Thomas Gloag · Marcel Camprubi · Giro di Lombardia · CPA · UCI · Bergamo

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