After seeing two of the stars of his Team Visma | Lease a Bike roster, Wout van Aert and Jonas Vingegaard, crash out of their respective races in recent weeks an admittedly 'angry' Richard Plugge has demanded race organisers do more to protect riders.
“Yes, I am sad, but I'm also angry. Because we have been talking about safety in the race since 2020," Plugge, who is also the initiator of SafeR - an organization that makes safety recommendations within cycling, tells HLN. "Our plans are ready to go. But it just doesn't happen. We have a responsibility to our riders. All teams. These falls also affect the sport. An organization is ready. We can go. Come on. What on earth is stopping us from getting started?”
Whilst van Aert crashed hard at Dwars Door Vlaanderen, breaking his collarbone and ribs in a mass crash, Vingegaard was taken away from the Itzulia Basque Country in an ambulance after being stretchered into the back of the emergency vehicle whilst on oxygen in a terrifying situation.
“The serious falls happen too often. That is obvious. As crazy as it sounds: the riders must be able to fall safely," Plugge concludes. "Things are getting faster and the professionalism of the teams is increasing. There are organisers, such as ASO and Flanders Classic, who are evolving along with it. But there are also organizers who cannot keep up. We have to help them. A Formula 1 driver can crash safely today. There are certainly ways that this can also be done in cycling. Everyone has to think about how we solve that problem.”
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