Tour of Britain: Stage winner Lorena Wiebes on Finlay Tarling death – BBC Sport
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"Parents shouldn’t fear their children not coming home from a race" – Lorena Wiebes, Winner of Tour de Britain Women’s Stage One
(Image source: Getty Images)
By Jane Dougall, BBC Sport correspondent
Published 4 minutes ago
Following the death of Finlay Tarling, a minute’s silence was held before the start of the first stage in Cockermouth, with a photograph of the 19-year-old projected onto a screen.
Lorena Wiebes (SD Worx – Protime) won the opening stage. After her victory, she stated:
"Most of these riders have family at home… Your parents shouldn’t be scared that you are not coming back from a race. It cannot happen again, and it’s happened already too many times."
Safety Concerns Following Fin Tarling’s Death
The death of Tarling during the Volta a Portugal sparked discussions about cyclist safety. Similar to the Tour de Britain, both events use ‘rolling roadblocks’ involving police and officials. However, roads in Cockermouth were fully closed for the race start.
Hayley Simmonds, a British rider and holder of three time trial records, has been vocal on this issue, citing an incident in 2023 when riders complained about open roads during the Tour of the Pyrenees. The race was eventually cancelled due to safety concerns.
Simmonds emphasized:
"When you go out on your bike, you expect to get home safely."
The Need for Action
While race management and governing bodies play distinct roles, Simmonds believes the UCI, as the sport’s governing body, should take a stronger stance on safety standards.
