Finlay Tarling killed in Volta a Portugal

[No Ta Doctor]

Please delete that, we don't need it here, spoiler or not. I don't think it's right to share that sort of photo.
'
For the record, in replying to your post the spoiler was removed, and I did see it, which was really unwelcome

 

[TheDoctor]

Image removed.

 

[ivegotabike]

https://www.facebook.com/Cycling360...e-current-leader-of-the-rac/1680591387409568/

 

[Dogtrousers]

Richard Plugge has weighed in, raising the possibility that point-to-point 200k races may not be sustainable if they cannot be guaranteed to be secured. https://road.cc/news/visma-lease-a-bike-boss-slams-lack-of-anger-over-fin-tarlings-death (quite a long interview here - he says a number of other things)

“Will we still be able to ride 200 kilometres from A to B? Probably not, because then you would need a thousand traffic marshals. Whereas, if you ride laps of 20 kilometres… Everyone is super enthusiastic about the world championships being held on a local circuit. And rightly so! Because that is at least manageable.”

I think this is the kind of thinking that's necessary. I'm not necessarily espousing this particular proposal, but this kind of thinking that goes beyond just muddling on as before without making any real change. With the current rate of deaths that's unsustainable. Drastic proposals have to at least be on the table.

Yes, as a team boss he probably has an agenda too...

 

[ivegotabike]

Richard Plugge has weighed in, raising the possibility that point-to-point 200k races may not be sustainable if they cannot be guaranteed to be secured. https://road.cc/news/visma-lease-a-bike-boss-slams-lack-of-anger-over-fin-tarlings-death (quite a long interview here - he says a number of other things)

“Will we still be able to ride 200 kilometres from A to B? Probably not, because then you would need a thousand traffic marshals. Whereas, if you ride laps of 20 kilometres… Everyone is super enthusiastic about the world championships being held on a local circuit. And rightly so! Because that is at least manageable.”

I think this is the kind of thinking that's necessary. I'm not necessarily espousing this particular proposal, but this kind of thinking that goes beyond just muddling on as before without making any real change. With the current rate of deaths that's unsustainable. Drastic proposals have to at least be on the table.

Yes, as a team boss he probably has an agenda too...

I would be surprised if the biggest point to point races, e.g. Milan - San Remo and the grand tours, don't continue.

But I do think the circuit format will feature more often, especially for levels below World Tour.

Over on the time trialling forum, it is clear that the series of TTs put on at Goodwood have been tremendously popular https://www.timetriallingforum.co.u...esday-15-july/&do=findComment&comment=2142568

 

[katiewlx]

Yes, as a team boss he probably has an agenda too...

yes he was the one trying to setup a breakaway Liv Golf style thing in cycling.

 

[Blazing Saddles]

yes he was the one trying to setup a breakaway Liv Golf style thing in cycling.

Liv Golf has been rather less than successful. A bit of a disaster, truth be told.
Much like 20km criterium laps would be.

 

[gsk82]

I'm not sure about Plugge's plan. A 200km race in the alps passes far fewer junctions than a 200km race on the French riviera, so should still be possible. If the race is, let's say, 5x40km laps. You'd imagine those 40km laps will be somewhere highly populated, with lots of junctions. I can see more races becoming like that, but it certainly won't take over.

 

[matticus]

I would be surprised if the biggest point to point races, e.g. Milan - San Remo and the grand tours, don't continue.

But I do think the circuit format will feature more often, especially for levels below World Tour.

Over on the time trialling forum, it is clear that the series of TTs put on at Goodwood have been tremendously popular https://www.timetriallingforum.co.u...esday-15-july/&do=findComment&comment=2142568

I would say the latter is all about rider perception - Road TTs in the UK are incredibly safe, more so the dual-carriageway events! How much were entries for those races? EDIT: google says it was £30 back in 2024. To ride round in circles for 30mins. And people moan about £10 to ride an Audax!
I've just realised we're talking about the historic Goodwood car-racing circuit - I can see that adds a bit of a pull; other venues like Castle Combe and Thruxton can't match that!

 

[Pross]

I'm not sure about Plugge's plan. A 200km race in the alps passes far fewer junctions than a 200km race on the French riviera, so should still be possible. If the race is, let's say, 5x40km laps. You'd imagine those 40km laps will be somewhere highly populated, with lots of junctions. I can see more races becoming like that, but it certainly won't take over.

Don't like the way he is using this for his own agenda either and trying to pass it off as a safety benefit. There's a conversation to be had (and that needs to be had) about how things can be made safer but I'm not convinced that is the real reason behind his comments.

 

[Dogtrousers]

I think what we will inevitably end up with is: Some hand wringing, some gestures, maybe some bans on irrelevant equipment, absolutely no substantive change, and more deaths.

 

[matticus]

I think what we will inevitably end up with is: Some hand wringing, some gestures, maybe some bans on irrelevant equipment, absolutely no substantive change, and more deaths.

... and more social media posts of "something must be done! They had one job - keep the riders safe! How was this allowed to happen?!?"

 

[Dogtrousers]

... and more social media posts of "something must be done! They had one job - keep the riders safe! How was this allowed to happen?!?"

After Mike Hall died I kind of lost interest in following things like the TCR. It wasn't something I did actively or logically , but dot watching just lost its appeal. It just felt wrong.

If things carry on this way I could see myself losing interest in cycling sport. Not as a protest. Just that I might want to find things a bit less fatal to follow.

 

[No Ta Doctor]

Don't like the way he is using this for his own agenda either and trying to pass it off as a safety benefit. There's a conversation to be had (and that needs to be had) about how things can be made safer but I'm not convinced that is the real reason behind his comments.

Yes. He can get in the sea with Vaughters and Hansen

I think what we will inevitably end up with is: Some hand wringing, some gestures, maybe some bans on irrelevant equipment, absolutely no substantive change, and more deaths.

It's honestly difficult to see what can be done, if there's no money to do it. More Police/marshals = more money. That's the only thing that I can see helping - and as has been mentioned many times on this forum from people with experience marshalling events, it's bloody hard to stop a determined idiot driver from entering the course. Full road closures rather than rolling closures would also be safer, but again, more expensive and more difficult to arrange - and they still need marshaling.

I guess potentially there could be an improved alert system - some sort of code red emergency brake that every marshal is empowered to pull if they see a car on the course - push the button and a little light on the bikes lights up and everyone pulls over, no matter where they are. (that's a Toyota lean manufacturing principle - any employee can stop all work if they see a safety issue), but that's treating the symptoms rather than the cause.

 

[mjr]

https://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/...sional-bike-races-after-finlay-tarlings-death

You couldn't make it up. Nothing on course security, but they'll know quicker when someone's been run over. 😠 I'm sure selling the data has no part in their prioritising that. 😠😠😠