Marcel Kittel calls for better race safety after Antoine Demoitié death
Following the death of Antoine Demoitié, Marcel Kittel urges the UCI and race organisers to ensure that rider safety is their utmost priority at races

The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
Thank you for signing up to The Pick. You will receive a verification email shortly.
There was a problem. Please refresh the page and try again.
Marcel Kittel says rider safety is as important as fighting for a drug-free sport and is calling on the UCI and race organisers to act after the tragic events at Ghent-Wevelgem.
On Sunday, Wanty-Groupe Gobert rider Antoine Demoitié died after being struck by a motorbike along the route of Ghent-Wevelgem - the latest in a string of similar incidents, but the only one so far in which the rider has paid the ultimate price.
>>> Belgian rider Antoine Demoitié dies in hospital after Ghent-Wevelgem crash
Etixx-Quick Step's Kittel wrote a long, thoughtful message on Facebook on Monday evening laying out the riders' point of view and urging those in charge to change things so that such an incident can never happen again.
"It's clear: Cycling's biggest problem was doping and still has to be fought," he wrote. "But the safety issues that are obvious should get the same attention and priority as the fight for clean sport.
"Not only because lives can be lost but also because there wasn't done much until now. Last major change was the Extreme Weather Protocol that was introduced this year. And before that, and only after the death of Andrei Kivilev, the UCI made helmets compulsory in 2003."
>>> Antoine Demoitié’s team shell-shocked but defiant on cycling’s day of tragedy
Some spectators, journalists and cyclists were asking 'will it take someone to die before things change?' after a spate of motorbike-related accidents. Now the unthinkable has happened, Kittel insists that something needs to change if cycling is to continue to be enjoyed by millions of people around the world.
But the German also says the risks that come with being a professional bike rider are what attracts so many people to take up racing, and the excitement associated with such risks are what makes such great drama for the spectators.
"There is a difference between riders crashing in the last hectic kilometres of a race, fighting for the right wheel before the sprint and riders crashing because of unsafe road furniture, reckless driving of motorbikes or cars, extreme weather conditions and unsafe race routes," he wrote.
"We brake late before the last important corner, we fight for wheels, don't hesitate to go into a gap that might be too small, we even push each other away to hold or get a better position in the bunch – all that at high speed and not only our own physical and mental limit, but also at the limit of our tyres and brakes.
"That risk is calculated and, I don't want to lie here, also one of the reasons why I love cycling. There is this action going on and it's a real fight for the win!"
>>> ‘Rider safety must come first’ says CPA after death of Antoine Demoitié
Kittel dismissed the notion that riders should take responsibility for their own safety on the race route, saying that they are concentrating enough on the actual race not to be burdened with guiding themselves safely through a course they didn't design themselves.
He instead called on organisers to ensure dangerous corners and obstacles are properly signposted so that riders can feel confident negotiating past them without crashing.
He added: "We need to work together to keep this sport safe and give sense to the tragic accident of Antoine Demoitié. It would be great if we can see some major changes and development out of a discussion over safety.
"We need to start talking openly about it now. That's what I expect from my governing body and rider association. For starters it would be good to see more experienced, well trained drivers in cars and on motorbikes, a yearly statistic that keeps track of crashes in races in order to see a positive or negative development and more signs/flashing lights that indicate sharp corners or dangerous points."
>>> Wanty-Groupe Gobert refuse to blame moto driver for death of Antoine Demoitié
He finished: "We owe it to Antoine that we do everything to let that never happen again.
Thank you for reading 20 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access
Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
Join now for unlimited access
Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
Stuart Clarke is a News Associates trained journalist who has worked for the likes of the British Olympic Associate, British Rowing and the England and Wales Cricket Board, and of course Cycling Weekly. His work at Cycling Weekly has focused upon professional racing, following the World Tour races and its characters.
-
-
Best long sleeved cycling jerseys 2023 for fall and spring riding, reviewed and rated
A long sleeved cycling jersey is a riding wardrobe staple, providing protection against cooler temperatures
By Hannah Bussey Published
-
‘Infectious positivity’ helped Jack Rootkin-Gray earn his first WorldTour ride with EF Education-EasyPost
Brit to make WorldTour debut in 2024 with Jonathan Vaughters managed American team
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
UCI warns UK that banning Russians will hurt chances of hosting future events
UCI president David Lappartient reportedly says UK government does not trust the UCI will ensure Russian and Belarusian athletes will compete as neutrals in Scotland next month
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
30-metre mattresses will be used on key Tour de France descent
Race organisers announce new safety measures on eve of Grand Départ in Bilbao
By Tom Davidson Published
-
UCI 'reopens consultation' around transgender athlete policy
The governing body says it will reach a decision this August
By Tom Davidson Published
-
‘Abuse has no place in our sport’ - UCI launches new integrity campaign
World governing body say new campaign is part of wider ‘cycling integrity’ programme, designed to ‘promote and strengthen integrity in cycling at all levels’
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Team bosses underwhelmed by 'symbolic' UCI rider development fee plan
The new rule will see development teams earn €2,000 a season once a rider signs to the WorldTour
By Tom Davidson Published
-
Russian team takes UCI to court over ban
Banned team Gazprom-RusVelo awaits verdict from the Court of Arbitration for Sport
By Chris Marshall-Bell Published
-
CW Live: Olympic champion joins Women's WorldTour; Tom Pidcock tips Van Aert for Cyclo-cross Worlds; Arkéa-Samsic boss 'very interested' in Julian Alaphilippe; Deadline for 2024 Olympics tickets; LEJOG record holder back cycling after hit-and-run
A round-up of all the latest cycling news
By Tom Davidson Published
-
UCI revises points system to give more weighting to Grand Tours and Monuments
Cycling's governing body publishes major changes to its points scale for the coming three-year cycle
By Tom Davidson Published