Professional cyclists staged a five-minute protest at the start of the Giro di Lombardia on Saturday, delaying the race in Como to demand improved road safety measures following recent collisions involving vehicles on race routes.
A Protest Rooted in Tragedy
The peloton remained stationary immediately after the starting countdown, creating a moment of confusion before Belgium’s double Olympic champion Remco Evenepoel addressed the crowd. “There’s too many incidents happening with vehicles in the race,” Evenepoel said. “Unfortunately we lost the life of a brother and of a colleague of us, so we want to make this statement to show to the world that we cannot keep accepting the fact that guys are getting injured or literally dying in what we like the most to do.”
Finlay Tarling, a British cyclist and the younger brother of Josh Tarling, who rides for Netcompany Ineos, was the person Evenepoel had in mind after dying from an August 14 vehicle crash at the Tour of Portugal. Marcel Camprubi and Thomas Gloag being hit by an oncoming police motorcycle during the Tre Valli Varesine event earlier in the week also prompted the demonstration.
Union Demands and Governing Body Accountability
“This week alone, there were multiple incidents of vehicles on race courses,” read a statement from the CPA union, which represents professional cyclists. “This summer, a life was tragically lost to exactly this kind of failure. We will not stand for this any longer.”
| Incident Date | Event | Nature of Incident |
|---|---|---|
| August 14 | Tour of Portugal | Collision involving Finlay Tarling |
| Earlier this week | Tre Valli Varesine | Thomas Gloag and Marcel Camprubi struck by police motorcycle |
| Saturday | Giro di Lombardia | Peloton safety protest and five-minute start delay |
Urging the UCI, cycling’s governing body, to step in, the CPA demanded that race organisers be held accountable and take measures to elevate safety standards. The union emphasised that riders race at high speed with little protection and depend on the UCI and race organisers to secure the roads, a responsibility they argue is not currently being met.
The Road to Como
After the five-minute stoppage, the riders set off as scheduled for the race to Como. “We did not want to affect the race, only to show what riders can do when we stand as one,” the CPA statement added. “We love this sport. We respect the race organisers. We want to race hard and put on a show for our fans. However, most importantly we want to come home safe to our loved ones.”
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