Contrary to most people, I don’t oppose the concept of night-time testing in cycling, but making Valentina Cavallar conduct a doping test mere hours after her mother passed away in the room next door, that’s just ridiculously inhuman.

I'm extremely frustrated and demotivated that riders can't unite on actual safety issues that matter but regularly use their leverage with organisers and the UCI on symbolic GC neutralisations that don't move the needle. Riders are wearing helmets that only have to adhere to the most basic safety specifications. Unlike other sports, there's no comprehensive health screening and prevention policy related to RED-S. Stakeholders (UCI and teams) quarreled for 2 years over data ownership of GPS tracking, indirectly stalling the implementation of these safety devices. WorldTour races still include downhill lead-ins to mass sprint finishes despite Lappartient saying that shouldn't be happening, multiple years ago. Money that was meant to be used for rider safety, was used by the UCI to fight a court case against SRAM, and the CPA seemingly decided that without internal vote on whether the riders are OK with that money being spent there. Extreme Weather Protocol for extreme heat is a well-designed system, but wasn't applied on Sierra de la Pandera when the red temperature band was hit. Those are some of the many issues where riders need a united stance, and stand up for their safety, but they don't. #LaVuelta26

It is completely unacceptable for riders to have to avoid cars driving in the opposite direction during a 13 KM time trial. ⛔️ I have a rather radical position on the organisation of cycling races where, if you can't organise a relatively safe cycling race, I don't want your cycling race to exist. That's especially true if you can't organise a 13 KM closed time trial circuit without multiple external vehicles entering the course. On the same topic, in the case of Finlay Tarling (and many other non-fatal examples), the sport apparently accepts the possibility of "missing a few riders" with a rolling barrier system. A rolling barrier system means that the police convoy closes roads as the race comes near, and unlocks them when the race is passed. According to the early reports of the Volta a Portugal, the police convoy locks "prioritisied intersections" where cars are likely to be. This means there is a small but realistic chance that a non-priority intersection skipped by the police convoy results in a car entering the course. Basically, the sport inherently accepts the possibility of riders getting hit by external vehicles. That in itself sickens me. Some people will say there's no way to solve this, but I don't find "some riders might get hit" to be a good enough standard. This sport can do better, everyone in it knows it.

Cycling is a brutal sport, man. A fucking rock. #LaVuelta26