Pro cyclist dies in race. There were loads of warning signs so why didn't the UCI do anything before now?

[msrisotto]

I am so sad and angry. It was inevitable. There have been loads of - not even near misses - actual collisions in races with media motorbikes and they didn't do a damn thing. Now someone is dead. His poor family.

Antoine Demoitie He was only 26. RIP.

I know. Just how many bikes are really needed. And how close do they really have to be?

RIP Antoine Demoitie, and also Daan Myngheer. A very sad week for cycling.

I hope that something is now done to stop this happening again.

Controversial perspective but I think that cycling is a lot more complacent about the risk of accidents than, say, rugby. "That's the sport".

Ds has just been involved in 3 days (4 stages) of cycling at the Youth Tour of Scotland (girls ranging in age from 12-16 and boys 14-16). 80 boys and c60 girls on closed roads in Perthshire. In that respect, British Cycling is good cos it insists on closed roads for youth cycling.

However in 3 days cycling, for the boys' races along there were 3 ambulances (one very complex forearm fracture, one broken leg (so ds told me) (1st lap and last lap of Race 1) and I'm not sure what the injury was in Race 3 (race 2 was a shirt team time trial). Narrow roads, mud, water, lots of potholes.

At previous Youth Tours in England I've seen many more ambulances. Kids get knocked out and get back on their bikes and race the following day.

Rugby (ds' other sport) is considered a "dangerous" sport - yet if we had that number of ambulances at rugby games/festivals, we'd be doing something very wrong. I don't watch a rugby game with my heart in my mouth, yet I breath a sigh of relief when ds finishes a cycle race.

Yet when we raise concerns, we're told "That's what the pros do".

I love the cycling community and the other parents are great but some of the attitudes to safety by some not all of the organisers is antideluvian.

Yes i very much agree. It is so frustrating though that nothing is appearing to be done!! People have already died! What more will it take?

To be fair, in this particular case it wasnt really the motorcyclist fault. There was a massive pile up of cyclists and he tried to brake and swerve and his bike fell on the rider.

The only way to avoid this is to only have filming from helicopters, or helmet cams I'm not sure what impact this would have on the sport.

To be fair, in this particular case it wasnt really the motorcyclist fault. There was a massive pile up of cyclists and he tried to brake and swerve and his bike fell on the rider.

Change the context of that and I am sure you wouldn't feel that way... say, driving past a school and a crocodile of kids is crossing the road...

There have been a few instances when riders and team members have accosted media bikers (I have witnessed one punch up). They are a growing problem and there have been many complaints... maybe this will make a difference, at last, too late!

Maybe someone will follow the money and the Tours de... will be opened up like FIFA is being. Imagie that! A sporting world where Cycling, Olympics, Atheltics and football areall open and transparent.... not run like private cash cow fiefdoms!

I can hope!

Change the context of that and I am sure you wouldn't feel that way... say, driving past a school and a crocodile of kids is crossing the road...

This is a different situation though. Closed road. Professional cyclists. Media bike that needs to be close to cyclists by definition.

I agree this needs to be looked at, media bikes do get in the way sometimes and do cause dangerous collisions - but this isn't so much down to the individual rider, but the industry around them which needs to find vast sums of sponsorship, and filming races is an important part of this.