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Belgian Antoine Demoitié, 25, died Sunday run over by a motorcycle, then that it was on the ground after a fall during the cycling classic Gent-Wevelgem. The tragedy occurred at Sainte-Marie-Cappel, in French Flanders, but could have been held on the same day in Barcelona, the Tour of Catalonia or Corsica, at the International Criterium. There was something inevitable, as if death was bound to be at the end of the unbearable series of accidents involving these bikes last year called “chaperones”, which recently tend to lead the riders to the hospital.
the circumstances of the tragedy are still unclear. Just do we know that four riders fell in the middle of the pack after 150 kilometers of this eventually won by Peter Sagan race that Demoitié was down, and the bike was lying on him violently enough that the Walloon none survives, despite the efforts of the university hospital (CHU) of Lille.
Monday, Wanty-Groupe Gobert, the team of Antoine Demoitié and a journalist witnessed the accident told the Belgian newspaper Het Laatste Nieuws that the driver of the motorcycle was not directly to blame. “This is a tragic accident involving a driver on Belgian races for at least twenty years that tried to curb and fell on Anthony” , explained José Been, Attaché Press the cycling team.
“I know the driver. This is a very experienced guy. Antoine Demoitié fell with several other riders. An official motorcycle, which followed, tried to avoid them but fell and also the missile landed on Antoine Demoitié “, confirmed Sebastiaan Timmerman, a journalist of the Dutch broadcaster NOS.
Multiplication of accidents involving motorcycles
long been known that cycling is a sport in which participants sometimes are killed in the race. We now know that it is a sport in which the organizer may be complicit, if not responsible for this death, because of the absence of a real vehicle ballet coaching accompanying events.
as noted by the young Dutch rider Bas Tietema, the issue of race vehicles remains one of the few that does not subject to strict rules in professional cycling, which controls the weight of the bikes, the blood of runners and now provides the case of extreme temperatures.
a month ago, a motorcycle carrying a stroke doctor knocked down a runner doubling the peloton during the Belgian race Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne. The unfortunate Stig Broeckx has not yet resumed the bike (and the doctor does not stop).
Last season in the level of World Tour races, four riders were at least overthrown by motorcycle: Peter Sagan and Sergio Paulinho on the Vuelta, Jakob Fuglsang on the Tour de France and Greg Van Avermaet on the Clasica San Sebastian – while he was en route to the victory. Two other riders were overthrown by assistance cars – yes, “assistance” – the Tour of Flanders
.
No Rules rather strict
The phenomenon knows no boundaries. Not Belgian pilots who are unconscious; it is the rules that are not strict enough. The International Cycling Union (UCI) is not able to guarantee the safety of the riders. Worse, it appears to do nothing despite the proliferation of problems.
specialized magazine Wheeler found that being certified drivers for the World Tour level were limited to a PowerPoint explaining that he had to listen to the orders of Commissioners of the UCI and the race direction and do not stick to the course.
UCI Regulation stipulates that drivers must be experienced and familiar cycle races – without elaborating – and know maneuver. News organizations are responsible for choosing their drivers.
An infinite number of bikers can thus claim to roll on the sidelines of a cycling race, instead of a fleet of several dozen experienced pilots and used the movement of runners, which could be made available to the organizers by the UCI.
too many bikes?
“motorcycles are a need for our sport, for security and media visibility. It is their behavior and leadership that must be regulated “, judged Sunday Irish rider Dan Martin. No Speed Limit is set for example motorcycles doubling the peloton, mass where the riders sometimes brutally away.
Most runners consider nevertheless too many bikes in the Image of Australian Michael Rogers, who published Sunday evening photo of a drowned motorcycle racer in a cluster.
Some bikes may undoubtedly disappear races, starting with those carrying journalists, has repeatedly benefited the writer of these lines – two on the Tour de France. Motorcycles photographers, whether independent, employees of newspapers or news agencies are the most numerous.
However, if they are tempted to reduce the number of press devoted to motorcycles the organizers guarantee the safety of the riders must make a request to the UCI and the cycling union of journalists.
the UCI wait
the accidents of the 2015 season have all been followed by outraged reactions of the teams and riders on social networks. “The harsh reality is that as long as the UCI will not act, this is a threat that will continue to weigh on the professional cycling” , prophesied Jim Ochowicz, the boss of the BMC team, in an open letter to the international federation last summer.
“We can not stay to watch this bloodshed because of superficiality or incompetence” , thundered Gianni Bugno at the same time, the union president of the riders. “We need more responsibility of all and particularly of the organizers and controllers. Riders ask us to be able to work without risking their skin because others. “
The UCI has taken no action since, instead devoting himself to the adoption of a calendar reform and operation of the teams meeting the wishes of the richest teams, but may cause a schism in professional cycling.
It took Andrei Kivilev lose his life in 2003 in the col de la Croix de Chaubouret, Paris-Nice, the UCI needed helmets to riders – against their will. The international federation will appear to act out of emotion if it takes another drastic measure for the safety of the riders, but without doubt this is a risk worth taking.
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