Take3 days ago
Paris-Tours peloton delays start, second day of one protest
The peloton at Paris-Tours delayed the race start by a few minutes on Sunday 11 October in a safety protest. It came 24 hours after the Il Lombardia delay and was described as the second phase of a coordinated action. The demand went to the UCI and race organisers, not to one race.
What this means
The UCI recently published the results of a consultation on reforming cycling, which treats safety as non-negotiable and calls for stricter enforcement of existing requirements. BBC analysis says such changes may not exist before 2029.
Dorian Godon of Netcompany Ineos spoke for the peloton in French. The riders said they are united in their demands on the UCI and race organisers to take accountability and act to better guarantee rider safety. At Il Lombardia, Remco Evenepoel used a microphone to say riders keep dying in races, and the pause there lasted around five minutes. The CPA union said there were multiple incidents of vehicles on race courses that week. Evenepoel cited the death of Fin Tarling in a collision with a vehicle at the Volta a Portugal in August 2026. Earlier that week, Thomas Gloag and Marcel Camprubi were struck by a police motorcycle during Tre Valli Varesine.
Sources
Just like Il Lombardia, Paris-Tours peloton delays race start in safety protest'We will not stand for this any longer' – Peloton unites in protest against unsafe racing conditions, delaying start of Il LombardiaGiro di Lombardia: Rider safety protest delays start of UCI World Tour race won by 20-year-old Paul SeixasParis-Tours Espoirs - Directs - DirectVeloParis-Tours : 2026
Analysed 5 sources, written and summarised with AI · How we work