TCA make statement following Tour des Pyrenees controversy; "Major stakeholders involved in women’s racing can all work together to ensure there is no repeat of events like this"

After the shambolic safety precautions that were in place at the Tour des Pyrenees, caused the race to be cancelled prematurely, the TCA (The Cyclists' Alliance) has made an official statement on the controversial incidents.

"In our view, the race was unsafe from the start of day one. Live coverage on Global Cycling Network (GCN) provided ample evidence of the disregard for rider safety." the statement reads. "After day one, we understood that the organiser assured teams that the safety situation would improve. This was not the case. Day two was equally unsafe."

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Equally as controversial as the almost non-existent safety precautions was the reaction of the Race Director, Pascal Baudron who slammed the female riders for having ideas above their station. "Under UCI regulations, organisers of UCI races 'must provide an adequate security service and organise efficient cooperation with the police,'" the TCA continue. "They are supposed to 'take whatever safety measures caution demands and, whenever is necessary, shall obtain authorisations from competent authorities and/or rights owners.' It is a standard expectation that 'all traffic shall be stopped on the course as the race passes through.'

"TCA is committed to improving conditions in the sport. We offer our support to those organisations and teams wishing to improve their approach relating to rider safety and welfare and we fully support the riders' rights to speak up when they feel that their safety is at risk," the statement continues. "After the conclusion of the race on Sunday, we have seen riders speaking up to emphasise that they want to see races which prioritise safety first, then media exposure, and then prize money – in that order. TCA expresses gratitude that no rider was severely injured, or worse, during the event, and hopes that the major stakeholders involved in women’s racing can all work together to ensure there is no repeat of events like this."

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Mikkel Condé v2.0

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