The affiliation of race organisers (AIOCC) held its Common 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 overall director of the Tour de France, blamed the Itzulia crash on the velocity of the peloton.
“Past the habits of the athletes and the work of the organisers, it’s completely needed to scale back velocity by acceptable measures: the riders are going too quick,” Prudhomme emphasised.
“The quicker they go, the larger the danger and the extra they endanger themselves and others. We already mentioned it right here final 12 months: our automobile and motorcycle drivers not have a security margin! Think about the implications if one in all our drivers, subjected to an excessive amount of strain, misplaced management on a descent from a cross or when racing by means of a built-up space.”
Very similar to throughout the UCI Congress, the topic of Muriel Fisher’s tragic demise introduced security into focus within the assembly, with race radios among the many subjects.
UCI President David Lappartient responded to a query concerning the federation’s plan to scale back using earpieces within the peloton by asserting that there are fewer crashes on the earth championships the place earpieces usually are 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 essential 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 maintain the earpieces – however there are nonetheless a number of riders who think about that it is a component that contributes to a specific amount of stress within the peloton.
“I feel it is a bit of a disgrace that some folks wish to draw a conclusion from a dramatic fall resembling that of Muriel Furrer, which is beneath investigation by the police,” he mentioned, including that an earpiece won’t have helped.
He did counsel that GPS trackers may very well be used sooner or later to ship an alert when a rider’s velocity has dropped to zero.
“There are a number of choices, there is also a riders’ radio that might transmit security info to the riders,” he mentioned, moderately than a two-way radio that might enable groups to ship strategic directions to the riders.
Lappartient additionally mentioned the brand new yellow card system that may 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 may be some calibration to be executed on the scheme. Race officers can be skilled in order that penalties are imposed constantly between races.
