Faced with successive falls and injuries, the cycling community is very worried about safety before Paris-Roubaix and its chicane of all dangers

Les chutes, de plus en plus nombreuses, inqui̬tent les instances dirigeantes. MAXPPP РPOOL ETIENNE GARNIER

Many voices agree for changes in rules and mentality while Vingegaard and Evenepoel are on the mat.

Cycling, as usual, faces a spiral of falls. In recent weeks, these have continued with ever more physical damage. Just yesterday, Jonas Vingegaard, world number 2, fractured his shoulder and ribs and was also the victim of a pneumothorax and Remco Evenepol, world number 3, ;nbsp;suffered fractures to his shoulder blade and collarbone during the Tour of the Basque Country. 

It is in this context that the president of the French riders' union, Pascal Chanteur, demanded "General States on Safety". He continues to think that cycling has not evolved from a safety point of view the difference from Formula 1. "Should we wait until there is yet another death ? For a rider to have both legs cut off and lose his life so that people become aware ? He adds : "On is the the only sport not to know how to adapt and to continue the massacre"

Disc brakes in the sights

The main problem, according to Singer, concerns the disc brakes, "too dangerous for competition". A ban could therefore be a solution. "Everything is possible. What happened in Formula 1? We had turbo engines and we returned to naturally aspirated engines. Today, we put 56×10. They are traveling at 80 km/h on the downward slopes, while they are almost naked. When it hits, you have no way out."

It's up to them to know if they want to continue to have accidents on their conscience

A new battle in perspective against the manufacturers, with whom they had already fought a few years ago over sharp edges on discs. "It’s up to us to know if we want to remain immobile and at the mercy of manufacturers. And it's up to them to know if they want to continue to have accidents on their conscience, or even deaths, or if they want to get to work. Rather than opposing us with pseudo-studies to demonstrate that we are wrong, when we know full well that we are right."

A chicane that divides

As Paris Roubaix looms, the dangerous nature of the course has prompted the organizers to set up a chicane as they approach the Arenberg gap. "For safety reasons, the course will take a chicane just before entering the sector to slow down the speed of entry into it and limit the risk of falls on the cobblestones." thus justified the organization.

A decision that the president of the union shares, wanting to avoid further falls that could cause serious injuries to runners. "When I see people on social networks who allow themselves to criticize the installation of a chicane at Arenberg (for Paris-Roubaix)… I hate them."

For some riders, the installation of this chicane is, on the contrary, something that could put the riders in even more danger, like Mathieu van der Poel.& nbsp;"In my opinion, the chicane makes the race even more dangerous."