"There were cars coming at me from all directions" - Cyclist shares terrifying experience during Tour of Britain's opening stage
CyclingFriday, 21 August 2026 at 03:00
The 2026 Lloyd's Tour of Britain Women kicked off with two back-to-back victories for world's most dominant sprinter Lorena Wiebes. But further behind, Maeve Plouffe had a far from pleasant experience after a puncture caused her to drop out of the bunch.
"Cars coming from all directions"
The rider representing British continental formation O'Shea Red Chilli Bikes spent a large part of the stage chasing the peloton, but could not recover the gap and eventually was forced to abandon. And the apparent lack of safety played a part in the decision to step away from her bike.
"On a side note," Plouffe wrote, "While the race convoy was still in sight and I was less than two minutes down, there were cars from the general public coming at me from all directions, including one that nearly hit me on a roundabout. Later on, the moto escort was wonderful and I felt much safer."
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"But considering the recent devastating events in our cycling community, it’s scary to see situations like this, when we know that this can have horrific consequences, especially so soon after suffering such a tragedy. Stay safe over the next stages."
Sensitive timing
The timing of Plouffe's experience is extremely sensitive especially in the context of recent events in Portugal. During the Volta a Portugal's stage 8, young Britsh rider Finlay Tarling lost his life after a head-on collision with a non-race car on the course.
In a statement, Events Director of British Cycling Ventures Jonathan Day said, "We note Maeve Plouffe’s comments about her experience during yesterday’s race, and we’re taking these extremely seriously. Rider safety is paramount and will always be treated as a priority in our planning and how we operate any race."
"We’re reviewing what happened with Maeve and her team O’Shea Red Chilli Bikes with the seriousness and empathy these comments demand. We recognise this comes at an especially difficult time for the cycling community, so we want to reassure all riders, teams and fans of the sport at this time of how serious we are treating these comments."
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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