#MakeRacingSlowAgain: Prudhomme wants to curb speed on descents, Vaughters reacts furiously

The crash during the Tour of the Basque Country, which derailed Jonas Vingegaard’s Tour de France preparation, caused a major stir. And it goes without saying that the tragic death of Muriel Furrer was a devastating moment for the cycling world as a whole. It did, however, lead to serious discussions within the riders' union and the UCI, which opened an investigation into the accident. The conclusion? The course itself wasn’t overly dangerous; the accident came down to a very unfortunate combination of circumstances. In any case, the federation could not be blamed, so they seemed to conclude.

Prudhomme appears to share that perspective, arguing that the responsibility for safety lies mostly with the riders themselves. He criticized the extreme speeds during descents and called for action. "Alongside rider behavior and the work of race organizers, it’s absolutely necessary to reduce speeds to reasonable levels," Prudhomme said during the annual AIOCC meeting, which represents cycling race organizers. "Riders are going too fast. The faster they go, the greater the risk, and the greater the danger for themselves and others." However, he didn’t clarify how these speeds should be controlled.

Prudhomme’s comments sparked backlash from the peloton. Jonathan Vaughters was one of the first to respond, posting the hashtag #MakeRacingSlowAgain with a dose of sarcasm. He later explained his frustration: "To be less glib: It is absolutely infuriating to me how these fat cats, who have never raced so much as a child’s tricycle, turning tens of millions in profit off the backs of others; squarely throw the blame of safety issues in cycling on the riders,” Vaughters vented on X.