UCI commissaire explains why Paris-Roubaix wasn’t stopped after Michael Goolaerts incident

After comments that Paris-Roubaix should have been stopped after Michael Goolaerts suffered a cardiac arrest, UCI commissaire Philippe Mariën explains that it is not simple to halt big races

Paris-Roubaix 2018

(Image credit: Yuzuru Sunada)

Experienced Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) commissaire Philippe Mariën has said that it would have been almost impossible to stop Paris-Roubaix after Michael Goolaerts suffered a cardiac arrest during the race on Sunday.

Mariën told Belgian newspaper Het Nieuwsblad that "stopping the race as you can stop a football match with one whistle is not that simple".

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Nigel Wynn
Former Associate Editor

Nigel Wynn worked as associate editor on CyclingWeekly.com, he worked almost single-handedly on the Cycling Weekly website in its early days. His passion for cycling, his writing and his creativity, as well as his hard work and dedication, were the original driving force behind the website’s success. Without him, CyclingWeekly.com would certainly not exist on the size and scale that it enjoys today. Nigel sadly passed away, following a brave battle with a cancer-related illness, in 2018. He was a highly valued colleague, and more importantly, an exceptional person to work with - his presence is sorely missed.