"We will no longer tolerate this" - Riders stage protest at Il Lombardia as Remco Evenepoel makes announcement and Tom Pidcock releases statement
Cycling
The peloton staged a powerful protest at the beginning of Saturday's Il Lombardia as Remco Evenepoel announced that riders stand in a united front, calling for organisers and the UCI to make greater efforts around safety.
As riders took to the start of the elgendary monument race, Remco Evenepoel stepped forward to announce that the riders were staging the protest, and the peloton waited five minutes longer than planned before rolling out for the neutral start.
With safety among the most important concerns in cycling, it has been under the spotlight in recent weeks and months following a series of tragic incidents, and worrying events that included cars and vehicles accidentally joining the course of some races.
In a statement, Tom Pidcock claimed that riders will no longer tolerate incidents involving rider safety as he called on the sport's leaders to make a change.
Remco Evenepoel said: "This is a signal to all organizers of cycling races. Make it safer for us, because there are too many unsafe situations or accidents involving motorcycles or even cars entering the course. Sometimes riders even die."
Remco Evenepoel
Tom Pidcock statement
In Pidcock's statement, the British rider's powerful words called for better management of courses and their security as he praised the power of riders uniting for the cause.
"As riders, we stand united against the unnecessary risks we face," Pidcock said in a statement on Instagram.
"This week alone, there were multiple incidents involving vehicles on the course. Two riders crashed after hitting a motorcycle going the wrong way. Fortunately, they escaped with cuts and scrapes, but it could have been much worse."
"This summer, this type of mistake also cost a life. We will no longer tolerate this. Riders race at high speed with little protection, and we depend on the UCI and the organizers to make the tracks safe. That responsibility is currently not being met."
Riders want to return home safely
Five minutes after the protest began, the race continued as Pidcock reiterated the rider's dedication and love for racing while also sharing their demands for safety.
"We therefore call on the UCI and the organizers to take responsibility and take steps. This also means a serious and open conversation between riders, organizers, and the UCI, resulting in concrete changes regarding how courses must be secured and managed.
"After five minutes, we will race just like usual. We didn't want this to have an impact on the race. We only wanted to show what riders can do when we unite.
"We love this sport. We respect the organizers. We want to race hard and put on a show for our fans. But above all, we also want to get home safely to our loved ones."
Gavin QuinnCycling Journalist
Gavin Quinn is a cycling journalist and ultra-distance cyclist with a BA in Journalism from Dublin City University. Formerly the Press & Communications Officer for Cycling Ireland, Gavin has worked inside the national team at the World Championships and has reported for the Irish Mirror, Mirror UK, and The42.
His expertise is backed by elite-level access, having interviewed stars like Sam Bennett and Ben Healy, as well as immense personal endurance. In 2025, he completed a 12,000km solo cycle from Ireland to Vietnam, following a 4,600km tour across Europe. From the cobbles of Paris-Roubaix to the gradients of the Tourmalet, Gavin’s writing focuses on the "romance and brutality" of the sport. Having visited 50+ countries, he brings a global, cultural perspective to his coverage of the pro peloton for CyclingUpToDate.
claps 6visitors 6
Just in
Popular news
Latest comments
- Why? The other guys skipped it, maybe they decided the rest would give them a better chance now so they’re not really racing on equal terms.Jumpyjohn10-10-2026
- Just want to see him riding again, anywhere! Come back soon Pogi!Lozza10-10-2026
- Multiple incidents in just one week in Italy is ridiculous!Lozza10-10-2026
- A victory of 2 minutes after 80h is a heck of a lot closer than in a one day race. Let’s keep things in perspective. It’s also often the result of one good day or a good team effort. In itself it doesn’t really provide much information for comparison of two riders.Jumpyjohn10-10-2026
- Yeah, I laughed at that! And Pogi didn’t even race for 2 stages as he was helping Torito!Lozza10-10-2026
- Good for them. The situation is ridiculous.wrsty10-10-2026
- What a ridiculous headline!Lozza10-10-2026
- They are equal in my opinion, which doesn’t make it easier for anyone.Jumpyjohn10-10-2026
- Ok, thanks for replying to that. Seems to have passed very quietly in an environment always trying to make big news out of small details. Am a little surprised as he really wouldn’t have had to exert himself enormously, he had enough time after and it was not exactly miles away so wouldn’t be surprised if there was more to it, which seems to be the case behind everything these days, like the media have discovered the best way to stay relevant is to reveal details as if it was a series, always holding enough back to create more, as if they feared running out of news ;-)Jumpyjohn10-10-2026
- Now that all the top guys are here, Remco has to win this to prove Euro was not a fluke.abstractengineer10-10-2026
Loading
1 Comments