‘People Are Dying’: Riders Delay Il Lombardia in Rare Public Protest Over Safety

The riders have had enough, and the bunch delayed Il Lombardia for five minutes Saturday morning to demand safer roads after another ugly week of vehicles getting onto race courses.

World champion Brandon McNulty and European champion Remco Evenepoel stood at the front as the peloton held up the season’s final monument to demand rider safety.

Evenepoel grabbed the microphone and spoke for the riders in a rare public showing of solidarity.

“In the name of the whole bunch and not only for the guys that are here but for everybody pro cycling, we want to make this statement because 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,” he said. “We want to make this statement to just show to the whole world that we cannot keep accepting the fact that guys are getting injured and are literally dying while doing what we like the most.”

‘Nothing changes’

The riders and the CPA also issued a joint statement asking the UCI and race organizers to take responsibility and tighten course security (see statement below).

Frustration has been bubbling behind the scenes ever since 19-year-old Finlay Tarling was killed following a collision with a vehicle that entered the Volta a Portugal course in August.

Michael Tarling, the father of Finlay, took to X to support the solidarity among the riders.

“We are so thankful, moved and proud of Fin’s fellow cyclists today for making a stand at the Tour of Lombardy,” he wrote. “Things need to change and no other family should ever receive the phone call we received on 14th Aug. We sincerely hope the UCI are listening and changes will be made.”

Saturday’s protest comes on the heels of high-profile vehicle incidents at both Coppa Bernocchi and Tre Valli Varesine this week in Italy.

At Monday’s Coppa Bernocchi, a DHL delivery van pulled onto the route from a side street and drove behind the breakaway before stopping.

A day later, a police motorbike traveling against the direction of racing collided with Tom Pidcock’s Pinarello-Q36.5 teammates Thomas Gloag and Marcel Camprubí at Tre Valli Varesine.

Gloag abandoned and required stitches to his knee, while Camprubí continued and later complained that “nothing changes.”

Heavy crashes have marked racing this week in Italy as well.

‘People are dying’

The latest incidents add to a grim toll the past few years. Gino Mäder died after crashing at the 2023 Tour de Suisse, André Drege died while descending at the Tour of Austria in 2024, and junior racer Muriel Furrer died following a crash at the 2024 UCI Road World Championships.

“This is why we want to stand for five minutes more, to make our statement towards organizations, to the public, to everybody that is following cycling and accepting the fact that people are dying,” Evenepoel said.

The UCI has introduced new safety measures, including better barriers and signage, but riders want faster action and stronger protection on race roads.

“We want to pay our tribute and respect to everybody that was already involved in the incidents,” he said.

After the protest, the race started without further incident.

There was no immediate response from the UCI.

A message from the riders: Released by the CPA

As riders, we stand united against the unnecessary risk our lives are being subjected to.

This week alone, there were multiple incidents of vehicles on race courses. Two riders crashed when they hit a motorbike who was driving the wrong way on the race route. Luckily both escaped with cuts and bruises, it could have been so much worse.

This summer, a life was tragically lost to exactly this kind of failure. We will not stand for this any longer.

Riders race at high speed with little protection, and we depend on the race organisers to secure the roads. That responsibility is not being met.

We are calling for the help of the UCI for race organisers to take accountability and act. That means a serious, open conversation between riders, race organisers and the UCI resulting in concrete changes to how race routes are secured and managed.

After five minutes, we raced as normal. We did not want to affect the race, only to show what riders can do when we stand as one.

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.