It’s not necessarily obvious to those outside of the sport just how dangerous road cycling is, but descending speeds that can exceed 60mph, limited protection against impact with hard or sharp objects on courses set up on the road, and a sense of the need to push the boundaries of risk in order to win underline the potential issues.
“A lot of the time we are in control of our own safety – the speeds we go, and when we brake,” says Tom Pidcock – a British winner of road races who is famed for astonishing descents on the bike.
“But we’re not racing F1 cars, where we’re protected, you’ve got a seatbelt and a helmet on, and someone fixes your car for you. If we crash, we’re the ones who take the hit.”
Kim le Court – an elite rider from Mauritius – injured her back in a big crash at this year’s Tour of Britain Women in Hartlepool.
Le Court, who developed her riding in South Africa in conditions she says were – at times – “bad”, hit the deck as riders jostled for position during a frantic start to stage two in wet conditions.
“We see it everywhere – it needs improvement,” she said. “For me, it’s hard to understand how it’s not safe in Europe. In Great Britain, the negative thing I saw was probably the potholes and lack of signs on the road.”
Le Court said there had also been issues during the Tour de France Femmes, referring to “some places where road islands were not pointed out” that was “really scary”.
“I can imagine how hard it is for them to get it perfect,” she said. “There are things that should change, and perhaps it’ll come in the near future.”
Briton Cat Ferguson, who won the race during which Furrer crashed, said safety had been “more on my mind than my legs hurting” during a recent event.
“They were probably the worst roads in terms of danger,” she said, adding she had confidence the CPA was “really fighting our corner”.