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Paul Seixas has called for better race-organisation standards after British rider Finlay Tarling, 19, died in a collision with a non-race vehicle at the Volta a Portugal on August 14. A police investigation is ongoing, while riders and cycling officials continue to press for stronger protections against vehicles entering race routes.
French rider Paul Seixas has called for better race-organisation standards after 19-year-old Finlay Tarling died when he collided with a non-race vehicle on the Volta a Portugal course on August 14. Speaking to Canal+ this week, Seixas said riders being hit by cars during races “shouldn’t happen”; a police investigation into Tarling’s death is ongoing.
Seixas said the death had affected him personally because he had raced with Tarling. He described the incident as “terrible” and said it had affected riders across the sport. He added that cyclists sometimes have concerns about how races are organised, while acknowledging that organisers are doing their best and arguing that standards sometimes need to improve.
The Frenchman also said it was frightening that riders were losing their lives in professional races. “There have been some very serious crashes throughout history, but really, riders dying like that after colliding with a car during a race, this shouldn’t happen,” he told Canal+.
Seixas took part in a five-minute safety protest before Il Lombardia, which he later won. Alongside the protest, riders including Tom Pidcock and Ben Healy shared a statement calling on the UCI and race organisers to “take accountability and act” against cars entering race courses. The riders wrote: “We will not stand for this any longer.”
Pressure to Keep Cars Off Courses
Tarling’s death has intensified calls for stronger protection of riders on public roads, where races share routes with ordinary traffic. Seixas’s comments add the voice of a prominent young rider to criticism from other professionals and bring attention to the gap between safety commitments and the continued presence of vehicles on courses.
The issue affects riders, race staff and spectators, as well as families confronting the consequences of serious crashes. Calls for change now include demands for accountability and proposals for independent oversight. The practical challenge is substantial: organisers must manage long routes with many access roads, but that difficulty does not resolve the question of how to prevent non-race vehicles from reaching riders.
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Safety Concerns After Tarling’s Death
Tarling died on August 14 after colliding with a vehicle that had been driven onto the Volta a Portugal course. The supplied report says the vehicle was not part of the race. Police are investigating the incident, and no findings from that investigation are provided in the report.
The calls for action follow earlier efforts and proposals. The UCI launched SafeR in 2023, describing it as an independent safety body, although it is funded by the governing body, race organisers, riders and teams. In September, the UCI called for safety-tracking systems to be introduced across professional road races as quickly as possible. British rider Matthew Brennan also called for an independent safety body last month, telling BBC Sport it was “disgraceful” that “nothing has changed” after Tarling’s death.
Further vehicle-related incidents were reported after Tarling died: a rider swerved to avoid a car during a time trial at the Sauerlandrundfahrt; a delivery van entered the route behind the breakaway at Coppa Bernocchi; and an SUV was on the course at the Eneco Tour, four days after the Il Lombardia protest. The report does not state that anyone was injured in those incidents.
““We will not stand for this any longer.””
— Riders’ joint social-media statement, including Tom Pidcock and Ben Healy
Investigation and Safety Measures
The police investigation into Tarling’s death remains ongoing. The report does not provide findings about how the vehicle entered the course, whether anyone will face charges, or what specific changes investigators may recommend.
It is also unclear what new measures organisers or the UCI will introduce, how any safety-tracking systems would work across races, or when they would be in place. Although SafeR is described by the UCI as independent, the report notes that it receives funding from the governing body, organisers, riders and teams; it gives no further details about the body’s powers or current work.
Calls for Accountability and Action
The immediate next development is the outcome of the police investigation into Tarling’s death. Meanwhile, riders’ calls for action put pressure on the UCI and race organisers to explain how they will reduce the risk of vehicles entering courses and how proposed tracking systems will be implemented.
No specific timetable or new safety policy is confirmed in the report. Further details from the investigation, the UCI and race organisers will help clarify what changes are planned and who will be responsible for carrying them out.
Key Questions
Who was Finlay Tarling?
Finlay Tarling was a 19-year-old cyclist who died on August 14 after colliding with a non-race vehicle on the Volta a Portugal course.
What did Paul Seixas say about race safety?
Seixas said the collision and death should not happen in a race. He called for better standards of race organisation while saying organisers were doing their best.
Is the cause of Tarling’s collision known?
The report says a non-race vehicle was driven onto the course and collided with Tarling. A police investigation is ongoing; further findings are not provided.
What is SafeR?
SafeR is a cycling safety body launched by the UCI in 2023. The UCI describes it as independent, though it is funded by the governing body, race organisers, riders and teams.
Have new safety measures been confirmed?
The UCI called in September for safety-tracking systems to be introduced across professional road races as quickly as possible. The report does not confirm a rollout timetable or further new measures.
Source: cyclingweekly.com
