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Paul Seixas has called for higher race-organisation standards after 19-year-old Finlay Tarling died in a collision with a non-race vehicle at the Volta a Portugal on August 14. A police investigation is ongoing, and cyclists and race officials have continued to debate how to prevent vehicles from entering race courses.
Paul Seixas has called for higher standards in race organisation after the death of Finlay Tarling, who was struck by a non-race vehicle on the Volta a Portugal course and died on August 14. Speaking to Canal+’s Clique show this week, the French rider said collisions between racers and cars “shouldn’t happen” and described the incident as frightening; a police investigation is ongoing.
Seixas said he had raced alongside Tarling and that the news had affected him and other cyclists. “We end up saying to ourselves, ‘That’s yet another cyclist who’s lost their life in a race this year’,” he said. He acknowledged that organisers do their best, while arguing that better standards are sometimes needed. He also said deaths after riders collide with cars during professional races should not occur.
The 19-year-old Tarling died after colliding with a non-race vehicle that had been driven onto the course, according to the report. The circumstances are subject to an ongoing police investigation. The available information does not establish how the vehicle reached the route or whether any individual or organisation was responsible.
Seixas also took part in a five-minute safety protest before this year’s Il Lombardia, which he later won. Riders including Tom Pidcock and Ben Healy shared a joint statement calling on the UCI and race organisers to “take accountability and act” over cars entering race courses. The riders wrote: “We will not stand for this any longer.”
Riders Press for Safer Race Courses
The call comes amid concern that vehicles can still enter routes used by professional races, where riders may have limited room and time to avoid them. For cyclists, a car on course creates a direct collision risk; for families and teams, a fatal incident has consequences far beyond the race itself. Seixas said Tarling’s death had affected cyclists across the sport.
The issue also involves a practical challenge for organisers. Road races cover long distances on public roads, with access points that can be difficult to control. That does not settle who is accountable in any particular incident, but it helps explain why riders’ calls for stronger safeguards have met questions about how those safeguards can work across an entire route.
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Safety Concerns Since Tarling’s Death
Seixas’s comments follow calls from other riders for changes to race safety. Last month, British rider Matthew Brennan told BBC Sport that it was “disgraceful” that “nothing has changed” since Tarling’s death and called for an independent safety body. That was Brennan’s assessment; it is not a finding about the outcome of any specific safety measure.
The UCI launched SafeR in 2023 as a cycling safety body. The source report says it is described as independent but is funded by the governing body, organisers, riders and teams. In September, the UCI called for safety-tracking systems to be introduced across professional road races “as quickly as possible.” The report also cites later incidents involving vehicles on or near race courses, including at Sauerlandrundfahrt, Coppa Bernocchi and the Eneco Tour.
Kiko García, technical director of the Vuelta a España and managing director of the International Association of Cycling Race Organisers, has pointed to the scale of the logistical problem. He said that a 200-kilometre race can have more than 300, 400 or 500 smaller roads connecting to the course, depending on the region. García said safety is every organiser’s first priority and described the issue as urgent to fix.
““We will not stand for this any longer.””
— Riders including Tom Pidcock and Ben Healy, in a joint social media statement
Investigation and Safety Measures Pending
The police investigation into Tarling’s death remains ongoing, and the source report does not provide findings about how the vehicle entered the course or whether charges or other actions are expected. It is also unclear what specific changes race organisers or the UCI will make in response to the latest calls, or when any new protections might take effect.
The cited incidents show that vehicles have continued to appear on or near race routes, but the report does not establish whether they resulted from the same causes or whether existing safety systems failed in each case. Nor does it give a detailed implementation timetable for the UCI’s proposed tracking systems.
Police Inquiry and UCI Response
The next confirmed development on Tarling’s case is the outcome of the ongoing police investigation. The report does not give a date for its findings. Separately, riders and organisers will face continued pressure to explain how vehicles can be kept off race routes, while the UCI’s call for safety tracking systems leaves their timing and practical rollout unresolved.
Seixas’s remarks add to calls for action from riders and show that concern remains after the Il Lombardia protest. No new rule or specific enforcement change is announced in the source material. Any assessment of what changes are made will depend on subsequent statements from the UCI and race organisers, as well as developments in the investigation.
Key Questions
Who was Finlay Tarling?
Finlay Tarling was a 19-year-old cyclist who died on August 14 after colliding with a non-race vehicle that had entered the Volta a Portugal course.
What did Paul Seixas say about race safety?
Seixas said riders being hit by cars during races “shouldn’t happen” and called for better race-organisation standards. He said Tarling’s death had affected him and other cyclists.
Has the cause of the collision been established?
No. The source report says a police investigation is ongoing. It does not provide findings on how the vehicle entered the course or establish responsibility.
What safety action has the UCI taken or proposed?
The UCI launched SafeR in 2023 and called in September for safety-tracking systems to be introduced across professional road races as quickly as possible. The report does not specify a rollout schedule or detail new measures adopted after Tarling’s death.
Source: cyclingweekly.com
