- Lingering Apprehension: Cyclists on Edge Following Gino Mader’s Tragic Death
- Growing Concerns: Racing Becoming More Dangerous, Need for Rider Education
- Striving for Safety: Calls to Improve Race Safety Measures in Cycling
On Saturday, when the Tour de France begins in Bilbao, the peloton will attempt to push fear to the back of their minds, despite being aware that peril and risk are ever-present in elite racing.
In the wake of Gino Mader’s death on 16 June, when he crashed while descending at high speed during the Tour de Suisse, these concerns have intensified. Every race is now overshadowed by apprehension, and the cyclists are still on edge.
Mader’s brutal, unexpected death has left a significant collective wound, especially among those who raced with him that day. “We are all Gino,” stated the French athlete Romain Bardet on Instagram. “We continually increase our speed and stretch the envelope. And we test bend after bend with our limits. The day becomes black when fate takes an acrobat in a Lycra costume.
Adam Hansen, a former professional cyclist and the newly elected president of the CPA’s rider’s union, believes that professional racing has become “significantly more dangerous” in recent years.
“The bikes have become much faster, and the overall level of competition has reached new heights,” he explains. When all of these factors come together, the level of peril increases significantly.
Hansen also believes that Mader’s death was caused by excessive pace. “It [the descent] was not technical, but the speed was dangerous,” he continues. “Perhaps we need to improve the riders’ education or create a situation in which they cannot attain such high speeds. “Cycling is a dangerous sport, and riders must be well-informed of the risks.”
Thibaut Pinot, who has won Tour stages in the Alps and Pyrenees, claims to be aware of the risks. “It is commonly said that you must turn off your brain while riding a bicycle,” Pinot explains. “I wrestle with this concept. We’re participating in a hazardous sport. I am a rider who takes fewer risks than others due to my heightened awareness of peril.”
On both the men’s and women’s scenes, the debate over race safety has evolved into a constant. Earlier in June, the Tour Féminin des Pyrénées, a prestigious women’s race, terminated in discord as both riders and organizers blamed each other for safety issues that crippled the race.
After the first stage was marred by moving vehicles, buses, and even shoppers crossing the path of the peloton, additional safety lapses during the second stage led to a rider protest.
Several prominent teams withdrew from the event, resulting in the race’s eventual cancellation.
The regulating body of cycling, the UCI, stated: “To ensure the riders’ safety, the UCI has decided to suspend the Tour des Pyrenees.” Pascal Baudron, co-director of the race, responded, “I don’t believe it’s worthwhile to organize a race if it will be ruined by spoiled children.”
Many races have near-accidents due to traffic regulations, police, or racing fatigue. Accidents, extreme conditions, and risk are inherent to elite-level racing, especially the Tour de France, which attracts enormous crowds along the roadside. In an unticketed, open-access sport, there is always the possibility that spectators will influence the competition.
The inaugural stage of the 2021 Tour was marked by a mass pile-up caused by a spectator holding a placard in the path of the riders, but spectators are not always to blame. During the 2020 Tour of Poland, sprinters Fabio Jakobsen and Dylan Groenewegen crashed, leaving Jakobsen in a coma. Groenewegen was found responsible and given a nine-month suspension. But the race administration was also heavily criticized for its poor course design.
After Mader’s death, racing must remain exciting and safe.
The budget for crowd control, policing, safety precautions, marshaling, and in-race security measures, such as roadside netting on the most hazardous descents, which could have prevented Mader from falling into the void, is the crux of the matter.
Downhill skiing may soon implement safety netting on the most hazardous descents. Hansen describes them as “a great idea,” especially when long, fast straights are followed by tight turns.
Discussions on radically improved safety measures have been ongoing for some time. But it is anticipated that proposals will be unveiled before the Tour begins on Saturday. Hansen states that a special meeting is scheduled for next Wednesday with ASO, the teams, the UCI, and himself to debate what can be done about certain Tour de France downhill finishes.
Hansen adds that the Tour’s organizers are “very open to doing everything possible to secure the race’s safety. There are numerous ways we can enhance rider safety, but Gino Mader’s situation presents a particularly difficult obstacle. Our objective must be to minimize risk as much as possible.”
