Is a safety car essential in cycling? Tre Valli Varesine organizer thinks so: "How else can we ensure safety?"

The issue of safety in cycling in 2024, especially after Muriel Furrer's death during the World Championships, has regained priority on the discussion list. While some believe that the sport should 'slow down,' others are putting more responsibility on the sports federations and the UCI. Now, Renzo Oldani, president of the Alfredo Binda Cycling Society, has also suggested a new idea.

Oldani also stopped the Tre Valli Varesine earlier this fall as the person in charge. Riders did not want to continue racing, so the decision was made to cancel the race altogether. Speaking to Bici, the Italian now discusses a measure he started considering after that edition: a so-called 'safety car' in cycling, as you have in Formula 1.

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The person responsible for the October race in question reflects on what such a car could have accomplished that day. Enric Mas and Romain Bardet were at the front and could have been the first to learn about that car. "A safety car, which would have suspended the race from a competitive point of view and allowed the race to overcome the dangerous section with controlled speed, would have allowed them to continue driving, allowing those 10 minutes of heavier rain to pass."

In Formula One, when the safety car is deployed, all time differences in the race are erased, which would be highly unusual in cycling. Still, Oldani is convinced the idea has a future. "Obviously, we cannot introduce the idea tout court; it has to be evaluated and adapted to our needs. It is a factor that needs to be studied, though. It would be a format that everyone could approve of, but we have to discuss it with all the operators, from the UCI to the teams and the riders' union itself."

According to the Italian, it has already been discussed with several organizations, including the UCI. "During the conversation, we clarified our wishes. We often read that organizers must do more and provide more protection. But how do you implement full safety on races of more than 200 kilometers? Leaving everything out of consideration is objectively impossible. Other solutions must be considered."