How a Horrifying Cycling Crash Set Up a Battle Over Safety

A spokesman for the U.C.I. declined to comment for this story. The organization has also presented new protocols to assess and address cycling-related concussions.

The governing body also said there would be stricter rules for race convoy drivers and stronger regulation of other dangerous conduct, such as riders tossing their used water bottles while racing or using unsafe positions on the bike.

But setting rules is one thing; enforcing them is another. In the past, a union of professional of cyclists known by its French acronym C.P.A., for Cyclistes Professionnels Associés, has threatened legal action against the U.C.I., supported riders’ protests, and asked that routes steer clear of dangerous conditions or not count as part of the race, said Laura Mora, the secretary general of the C.P.A., which is a part of the U.C.I.

Race organizers are supposed to abide by safety measures set by the U.C.I., but there has been a lack of enforcement, Mora said.

Some riders, however, see the C.P.A. as compromised by its relationship with the U.C.I. As a result, an alternative for professional cyclists, The Riders Union, was launched in November. The new union, which is not recognized by the U.C.I., has set improved safety measures as one of its main goals.

“The Riders Union is the big step forward in achieving something because, at the moment, the C.P.A. is useless,” said Jos van Emden, one of Groenewegen’s teammates. “It’s not independent,” he added, “and the U.C.I. is pulling the strings.” Van Emden submitted a list of safety features to be implemented.

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/30/sports/cycling/riders-crashes-uci-safety.html