“I for one would rather not play voyeur to the fragility of a human life” - Peta Cavendish on broadcasting the aftermath of crashes

After horrific scenes on stage 4 of Itzulia Basque Country, in which several riders went down on the descent of the Olaeta climb, concerns have been raised over the broadcasting of the aftermath of the crash. Amongst those to have issued their worries publicly is Peta Cavendish, the wife of Mark Cavendish.

She took to social media after the stage to give her opinion on the matter, as she said “there is a lot of conversation around the lingering camera shots of motionless riders and endless repeats of the crashes. I know that some families of riders have shared that they find it helpful as it’s the only updates they receive. I hear that. The wait for information seems an eternity. However, I for one would rather not play voyeur to the fragility of a human life”.

This has been a concern that has been raised before when we have seen nasty crashes, with Cavendish going on to say “I don’t believe ‘it’s just part of the sport’. It’s something I have said many times before. It’s not just the distress it can cause as it’s watched in real time. But also the weight it can hold in the future”.

Cavendish has had her fair share of worrying moments when watching professional cycling, as her husband Mark has had several hard crashes during his long career. On the effect that watching a crash can have on a rider’s family, she said “I have been the wife with children in arms watching, flinching at every repeat. I don’t speak for everyone. But let’s remember this footage is not for information, for facts or vital sporting updates. It’s for ratings. For clicks, for views”.