"Bike helmets only need to meet standard testing, and this is not enough for road racing" - CPA president hopes rider safety will take another step
CyclingSunday, 16 August 2026 at 23:00
The cycling world has been stunned by the terrible news of Finlay Tarling's death during the eighth stage of Volta a Portugal. The NSN Development Team rider was riding behind peloton when a non-convoy car appeared parked behind a corner as the Brit had been riding at high speeds in a descent. There was little time to react and the impact became fatal.
It is said that the car driver, departing for work, had asked nearby spectators whether the race had already passed after the peloton had ridden by. When assured that was the case, he entered the course. Although he realized the race was not over yet and parked his van as safely as possible, it did not prevent the disaster. Portuguese media report that the driver is unlikely to face charges.
"We are speechless and filled with anger," said the Cyclistes Professionnels Associes (CPA) on social media. "It is not right that a young athlete's life should end this way, and we are furious that even today it is still not possible to prevent such serious accidents. We share in the grief of his family, friends, team, and everyone who knew Finlay. Rest in peace, young rider; we pray for you, and we will carry you in our hearts."
Why does it keep happening...?
Cycling as an outdoor sport taking place at high speeds is never spared of crashes and injuries. And in extreme cases, fatal accidents occur as well. However most cycling deaths happen during trainings on unclosed roads with unregulated traffic. This year, Sep Vanmarcke's nephew Milan Bral and Lidl-Trek devo rider Liam O'Brien's younger brother Shane have fallen victim to traffic accidents.
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But Tarling's death is the first in a road race in 2026. Previously, Samuele Privitera lost his life at Giro Valle d'Aosta in July 2025. The most painful remains the memory of top-5 Vuelta finisher Gino Mäder who crashed on a descent during 2023 Tour de Suisse.
Each tragic accident has a unique background, making it hard to prevent every possible scenario. But CPA still hopes something can be done to protect riders in the future if similar circumstances were to occur.
Based on the images from the accident which have circulated on social media, we can only estimate that Tarling might've crashed into the car head-first. Whether a better helmet could have saved his life? That will be up to CPA and UCI to try and figure out.
"One thing we have to look at is helmets," Hansen told BBC Sport. "They need a major upgrade. Bike helmets only need to meet standard testing like all helmets, EU standard CE EN 1078 is only rated for 19.5km/h and I do not believe this is enough for road racing."
Such mistake can't happen again
In any case, Hansen admits that the whole tragedy was the culmination of multiple smaller-scale failures. And part of it comes down to spreading better information about cycling racing among public to ensure that even more sporadic spectators understand that the race is not over before a broom wagon sweeps past.
"The organisation is [generally] very good, but what happened [on Friday] is a bit of a hole in the system," added Hansen.
"When the breakaway or the main group goes past, sometimes the drivers [from the general public] think that's the whole race. But in fact there are riders behind and on some mountain stages the difference can be 45 minutes. If people do not know racing, then they just naturally think the race has passed and go on to the course, where in fact there can be many groups."
Hansen added: "To close every single road and driveway is difficult and it gets to the point how little risk the organisers want to take and if it's even possible for them to have people at all those points."
Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
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