“The big problem lies with the UCI” – Johan Bruyneel spares no sympathy for the organisers after nasty crash at the Tour de la Provence
Cycling
At the Tour de la Provence yesterday, Sam Bennett claimed
victory in the stage, while Mads Pedersen secured the overall title. However,
the final sprint was overshadowed by a nasty crash in the peloton at the end of
the race.
As the race entered its final few hundred metres, the
sprinters were preparing to build to maximum speed to compete for the race win.
Unfortunately, Pascal Ackermann suffered a disastrous moment as he tried to
accelerate, as his front wheel lost grip on a speed bump, sending him crashing
hard onto the tarmac.
The situation worsened as riders behind him had no space to
react, leading to a pile-up involving multiple other competitors, some of which
went over their handle bars.
This incident once again raises concerns over the current
safety standards in professional cycling. Over the past few months, multiple
junior riders have tragically lost their lives in training accidents.
Additionally, at the 2024 World Championships in Zurich, Muriel Furrer’s fatal
fall prompted serious questions about course design, race safety, and the
handling of riders who have crashed.
Among those speaking out on social media following the crash
was Johan Bruyneel, a former professional who won two stages at the Tour de
France and one at the Vuelta a Espana. Now 60, Bruyneel was highly critical of
the race’s organisation and the role of the UCI in ensuring rider safety.
“My opinion on this? A speed bump in the last stretch and so
close to the finish line should never be allowed, ever. We have to ask the
question: who designs these courses? This isn’t rocket science, depending on
the profile these courses have a reasonably predictable outcome.
“In this case, high probability for a bunch sprint, so a
speed bump in the last few meters is almost a guaranteed disaster. So the first
question really is: who designs the course? Next question is: who approves the
course? I realize it’s not as simple of a process as we might think, but
ultimately for me, the big problem lies with the UCI.”
Bruyneel did not hold back in his criticism of UCI President
David Lappartient, stating that the organisation prioritises shifting blame
onto riders rather than addressing preventable dangers.
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“Their president, David Lappartient keeps pushing the news
that rider safety is one of their priorities, but whenever he has the
opportunity, he blames the riders’ behaviour for crashes and accidents.
Sometimes that’s true, but many, many times there are circumstances that can be
avoided, like today.
“Lappartient also keeps boasting about ‘SafeR,’ what he
calls an external and independent entity responsible for analyzing safety
situations and making recommendations for improvements. I just want to take the
opportunity here to remind everyone, including Lappartient himself, that
‘SafeR’ was initially an initiative of the teams.
“The teams came up with the idea of contracting an external
and really independent organization which was supposed to study the situations
and work on improvements for rider safety. It is my understanding that
Lappartient has listened to the teams' proposal but (and this happens often
with sporting federations) turned it into his idea and forced the teams to let
the UCI do the talking.
“Now SafeR is working directly for the UCI and not for the
teams and their riders. It is absolutely not independent, and their reports are
monitored and published by the UCI. What the UCI does usually is punish either
riders, DS, or organizers for incidents in races. They prefer to punish small
organizations; they will never punish ASO, for example, even if sometimes in
the Tour de France there are courses or finish stretches that could be a lot
safer.
“Richard Plugge, or any other team manager, tell me if I’m
wrong. (I realize I may have missed some details along the way about the
creation of SafeR, but I don’t think I’m far off.)”
The crash at the Tour de la Provence has once again
highlighted the need for greater oversight in race safety. While cycling
remains the sport that we love, the risks involved continue to be a major
talking point and the handling of these situations simply must improve.
With
figures like Bruyneel speaking out, the conversation around rider safety is
unlikely to fade anytime soon and it is time now for action. Whether the UCI
will take meaningful action in response to these concerns remains to be seen.
My opinion on this?
— Johan Bruyneel 🇧🇪 (@JohanBruyneel) February 16, 2025
A speed bump in the last stretch and so close to the finish line should never be allowed, ever. We have to ask the question: who designs these courses? This isn’t rocket science, depending on the profile these courses have a reasonably predictable outcome. In… https://t.co/XL5TTHYuiZ
Fin MajorCycling Journalist
Fin Major is a UK-based writer at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2024. He is the site’s main writer for FAQs and evergreen explainers and has written around 2,000 pieces for the platform. Alongside this work, he focuses on in-depth analysis and covers the biggest races on the calendar, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, providing clear context around performance trends, tactics, and key storylines.
In his reporting, Fin uses reputable data sources such as 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. Outside of writing, Fin is an active cyclist, which supports his practical understanding of the sport and its demands.
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- I get the point totally. We live in the snowflake society where some riders forget they are getting paid to ride and get results. When they have a few issues they try to look outside of the real issue instead of themselves. It odd so many of the team are making no complaints and getting on with their job. If you do not like what you do find another job simples. Tough love as my mum would say.paultryan200207-11-2026
- many people advise him to grow slowly and rather do giro and/or vuelta instead of tdf. but i can totally understand that he is not satisfied with taking over once pogi declines, but instead beat him in his prime. so if he goes for tdf again, i‘m all for it. let‘s hope that pogi recovers soon!Ketterechts07-11-2026
- So gracious to offer something no-one would be prepared to pay for. The Giro is not the Tour and doesn’t command the same interest or attract the same “elite” (those willing to pay to be a part of something they consider has ego boosting potential). Roadside viewing will always largely remain free for everyone outside circuits. Introduction of a symbolic entrance to mountain climbs is worthy of exploration. Asking 1-2€ isn’t going to repulse real fans (most will spend 50-100€ on their outing that day all things included) but will prevent a portion of the total knobhead thrillseekers who will join in any large gathering as long as it’s free, just because they’re attracted to crowds, without which it it difficult for them to work up their anti-social behaviour.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- How is radio going to help when someone went over a cliff or bridge or off the roadside into a forest unnoticed and is laying there unconscious?Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- Yep, next we’ll be accusing F1 drivers of avoiding Le Mans.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- But on what is that opinion based? Are you holding him to a different standard than others? Are you saying he should do learn to like something he doesn’t Are you saying he hasn’t achieved enough Are you saying he pretends to be better than his results? It’s actually a really strange opinion to oust if you consider it objectively or rationally. Try applying it to others or yourself by asking if not EVERYONE should then be doing more? Nobody in athletics or swimming gets criticism for not expanding their repertoire when a rival or someone else does. In fact, most who move to another event get accused of running from their rival. Opinions are boring, the reasons behind them are what count.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- for a medical chief to throw things like is just bad. There are already radios which were banned for spectacle. allow radios. Gps trackers are not a complete solutionabstractengineer07-11-2026
- Yeah man...PogiSloFans07-11-2026
- any rider less than 25 whether they are really ready for the position of leadership of GT is probably not the case. I think Pogi himself suffered when he was defeated by Jonas in the TDF twice. But that would be the team's job to ensure support so that they can bounce back. It requires a team and time to get back up and win after getting knocked down.abstractengineer07-11-2026
- I'm very glad he got the big late Quickstep Vuelta win and I hope he has a few left for Euskaltel-Euskadi.flyer07-11-2026
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