Rider Errors Cause Over a Third of Race Crashes: New 2024 Safety Upgrades Announced

The UCI has printed some race crash and incident statistics prior to the 2025 season starts on the Excursion Down Below in Australia, whilst confirming that many of the primary protection enhancements will once more be not on time because of the will for additional deliberation and learn about.  

The UCI race incident database, collated with the Ghent College in Belgium, registered 497 incidents all over the 2024 season. 

The UCI specified that unprovoked rider mistakes constitute 35% of incidents. Pressure generated via the manner of tactically vital issues within the races equivalent to climbs, cobbled sectors or sprints sparked 13% of incidents, whilst hazardous highway prerequisites, specifically rainy and slippery roads result in 11%. The UCI mentioned that highway infrastructure, deficient highway prerequisites and automobile behaviour have been the reason for 9%, 4% and 1% of recorded incidents, respectively.

The UCI’s race incident database was once created as a part of the SafeR challenge that objectives to fortify race protection after a variety of high-profile crashes and disputes about accountability. The UCI accepts that “the data is collected in a limited number of events” however hopes that next enhancements may also be recognized and cascade all the way down to decrease ranges of racing.

A SafeR Case Control Committee meets weekly to check race incidents, look ahead to problems at upcoming races and habits protection audits of groups and races. They learn about video research, establish when positioning of motorbikes and staff body of workers are a threat, and imagine when apparatus could also be a contributing issue. 

SafeR contains representatives from all the recreation’s stakeholders, together with the UCI, race organisers, groups and the riders’ CPA associations. 

SafeR was once introduced prior to the 2023 Excursion de France and simply days after the tragic dying of Gino Mäder on the Excursion de Suisse. Since then different riders have gave up the ghost and been significantly injured because of crashes in races however SafeR has nonetheless to make primary protection enhancements. 

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Yellow playing cards and 3km rule

A brand new yellow card punishment machine will likely be presented in 2025 after an ordeal in 2024 however adjustments to the usage of staff radios, particular dash zone laws, rim top and handlebar width, in addition to tools restrictions to restrict speeds as instructed via Wout van Aert, are nonetheless being regarded as and any new laws were additional not on time. 

The UCI printed that 31 yellow playing cards have been issued all over 66 race days of the 2024 trial. 52% have been issued to riders, 32% to staff body of workers and 16% to media automobile drivers and bike pilots.

The UCI defined the yellow card machine in a video right here.  

If a rider will get two yellow playing cards all over the similar tournament, they may be able to be disqualified and suspended for seven days. 3 playing cards in 30 days earn a rider or directeur sportif a 14-day suspension. Six playing cards over a 52-week rolling duration can lead to a 30-day suspension. If the suspension falls all over the low season, it is going to be served all over the following season.

Yellow playing cards may also be awarded for 23 other offences. They may be able to now even be issued for bad behaviour of a dash lead-out rider equivalent to celebrating a teammates victory and for bad behaviour via staff body of workers in a feed zone. 

The UCI showed that the so-called ‘three-kilometre rule’ may also be prolonged to a most of 5 kilometres, to cut back the power on riders all over a dash end. Time hole calculation at finishes has been greater from one to a few seconds to alleviate the power on riders no longer fascinated about sprints to stick on the entrance of the peloton.

SafeR has performed what it calls a ‘Dash End Survey’ according to comments from 174 riders on subjects starting from direction design to rider behaviour. 

Riders known as for consistency within the software of sanctions with bad behaviour via sprinters and lead-out riders. Riders additionally expressed their considerations about direction design for dash finishes, the placement of obstacles and the want to steer clear of corners within the final sections. 

The UCI described the dialogue as optimistic however kicked the can down the street via announcing they’ll “continue discussing future recommendations to be implemented”. 

After 240 riders and 42 staff representatives finished a questionnaire about staff radios, the UCI mentioned they’ll perform an “in-depth study to determine where improvements can be made to strengthen the monitoring of the race for the safety of riders and all involved.” 

The specs for end obstacles have additionally been not on time till after a six-month lengthy 2nd segment of research, whilst the usage of analysis instrument will likely be studied to check out to fortify how race routes are decided on.

The UCI added that the usage of rider airbags, the laws on rim top and handlebar width or even tools restrictions to cut back speeds are being regarded as. No particular date was once given any resolution or new laws. 

“The safety of riders is a priority, both for the UCI and for all those involved in men’s and women’s cycling,” UCI President David Lappartient mentioned.  

“Launched in 2023, SafeR now has a solid structure and is progressing with rigour and professionalism towards the implementation of initiatives that will make road cycling safer for its key players, the riders.”