"That is super dangerous!" - More riders and experts criticize UCI's experiments of racing without radio

The UCI's experiments to reduce the importance of earphones are increasingly met with resistance from both riders and stakeholders. Richard Plugge's statement was countered by UCI boss David Lappartient. In the meantime, more and more voices seem to find agreement with Plugge's words, while Lappartient is in the line of fire of all experts.

Ramon Sinkeldam, who is currently racing at the Tour de Pologne where the tests are being carried out, stood out to point out the importance of radio communication via X. "Yesterday, there were team cars, ambulances and jury cars in a blind spot after a fall. How are we as riders supposed to know that all these vehicles are there?" he began his story about the lack of information.

"And what if we want to call the team with one of the riders, how are the others supposed to know who is bringing a water bottle or something to eat, or who is providing assistance? Do we have to look back all the time as riders without earphones, 25 times, a hundred meters back, to see exactly which car belongs to whom? That is super dangerous!" was his clear statement. Sinkeldam then pleaded for one neutral jury channel, if the earphones really were to disappear.

He is supported by Dutch pundit Stef Clement who spoke at NOS: "With this experiment, the UCI assumes that riders can always reach each other, but that is not possible during a busy race. Certainly not during a mountain stage, when riders and team cars are everywhere and nowhere. With this, the UCI is once again shifting responsibility. If only they would first concern themselves with safety regulations regarding the course. The fact that the UCI wants to experiment at the Tour de Pologne is almost worse than irony," he refers to numerous (safety-related) incidents at the Poland's only World Tour event.

"What progress have we made after those terrible crashes? Absolutely nothing."