Riders' union calls for helmet standards and race traffic review after Finlay Tarling death

Tarling, who was racing for the NSN Development Team, died following a collision with a van during Stage 8 of the race on Friday.

In a statement following his death, the CPA called for urgent action to improve rider safety.

“We are speechless and filled with anger,” the riders’ union said. “It is not right that a young athlete’s life should end this way, and we are furious that even today it is still not possible to prevent such serious accidents.”

Portugal’s National Republican Guard has opened an investigation into the circumstances of the collision.

The incident occurred while the race was operating under a rolling roadblock, a system in which police and marshals temporarily stop traffic as the race passes rather than closing the entire route for the duration of the stage.

CPA president Adam Hansen told BBC Sport that the system can create risks for riders who have lost contact with the main groups.

“The organisation is generally very good, but what happened is a bit of a hole in the system,” Hansen said.

“When the breakaway or the main group goes past, sometimes drivers think that’s the whole race. But in fact there are riders behind, and on some mountain stages the difference can be 45 minutes. If people do not know racing, then they just naturally think the race has passed and go on to the course, where in fact there can be many groups.”

Keeping an entire race route free from civilian traffic can be particularly difficult on long stages, where organisers must manage large numbers of junctions, side roads and private access points.

The issue has surfaced repeatedly in professional cycling, with riders encountering civilian vehicles on race routes in previous incidents, including at Il Lombardia and during this year’s Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes.

Hansen also called for a review of the safety standards applied to helmets used in professional racing.

European standard EN 1078, which applies to bicycle helmets sold in Europe, includes impact testing at speeds well below those routinely reached by professional riders in competition.

Hansen argued that meeting existing consumer standards should therefore not necessarily be considered sufficient for helmets used in the professional peloton.

“One thing we have to look at is helmets,” Hansen said. “They need a major upgrade. Bike helmets only need to meet standard testing like all helmets. EU standard CE EN 1078 is only rated for 19.5 km/h, and I do not believe this is enough for road racing.”

The CPA’s intervention adds to ongoing discussions around race safety, with traffic management and protective equipment both likely to come under renewed scrutiny following Tarling’s death.