Tony Martin charges against the UCI for lack of security

Former German cyclist Tony Martin went to GCN Eurosport Cycling Show to analyze one of the great problems of current cycling: the serious falls that have occurred in the last few seasons in the peloton and to ask the UCI for more real measures for safety in races.

Martin regretted that despite the new rules in place, the situation remains the same and believes that the falls will get worse. “In truth, nothing has changed, we continue to have the same safety standards and we continue to have the same bad falls. My feeling is that we will have more falls. We will see bigger falls and with more runners forced to leave because of them. “

The German also asked the organizers for an effort so that the race takes place in places that do not pose a danger to the runners. “The last two or three years in the Tour de France I would not say that I was afraid, but I was aware that I could fall in those weeks. There was always stress, but this level had never been reached. Circumstances in which the nerves in the peloton do not end in falls can be created if you improve the routes “

Martin gave the UCI a wake-up call to react to these falls, which in most cases have been seen through television cameras. “As an organizer, you have to react. And the UCI must react to the circumstances. Have they found ways to make racing safer? In my opinion, nothing has changed. If the cycling authorities do not understand the danger of it, I must say that they are stupid because they have seen the falls and how many cyclists have had to be transported by ambulance. You have to know that, as a federation, you are responsible for riders and if you have seen the current situation, you must react and do things better.

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Finally, the former rider regretted that the UCI is more aware of regulations such as prohibiting postures on the bike bar and elbows on the handlebars instead of worrying about better signaling obstacles on the road. “When I see they come up with stupid rules, like banning the ‘super tack’ position, it’s like, ‘okay, you can do it,’ but it sounds better to me that we can say something has to be done. We have created rules for doing the races. more secure. But I haven’t seen anyone fall into the ‘super tack’ position or with their elbows on the handlebars. I have never seen these positions cause falls, but I have seen 100 times falls from obstacles on the road because they are not indicated. It’s clear to me that they don’t want to understand it, because it would take them a lot of work and a lot of money. I do not know. Safety is always a question of money. Maybe when you create these standards, small races are not able to meet them. And I don’t see that these rules make racing safer. The accidents of the past have ended very badly, and no one learns from it. And that leaves me speechless. “

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