Just one week after being doored by a Belgian post vehicle, Remco Evenepoel has entered into a partnership with the Belgian postal servive (BPost) on a new safety initiative to help protect cyclists from suffering similar incidents.
Evenepoel was involved in a collision with a post van last Tuesday morning which left him hospitalised with a range of different injuries. As well as breaking a rib, his shoulder blade and hand, the Belgian also suffered contusions on his lungs and a luxation of the clavicle which resulted in him needing surgery to repair the damage. His gold S-Works bike was also snapped clean in two due to the impact.
Now seven days later the double Olympic champion has collaborated with the Belgian post provider to produce a sticker to encourage vehicle drivers to think of the “Remco Reflex” before opening their doors.
"Although all Bpost drivers are extensively trained to use the Dutch Reach (this is a technique where you open the door with the opposite arm, in order to force yourself to look behind you, ed.), a permanent visual reminder is useful," a Bpost press release reads. "We will therefore install the 'Remco Reflex' in all of its vehicles."
"At Bpost, we believe that a simple gesture can save lives," BPost CEO Chris Peeters said. "With the ‘Remco Reflex’, we want to remind everyone that it is important to stay alert when you are on the road. We regret what happened to Remco and wish him a speedy recovery. We hope that this initiative will help prevent further accidents."
Despite finding himself in hospital as a result of the incident, Evenepoel publicly expressed support for the female postal worker involved in the crash on his Instagram account.
"When the people at Bpost made me this proposal, I immediately jumped at the chance," Evenepoel said of the new campaign. "All road users must take each other into account. The Bpost initiative will undoubtedly help raise awareness of the dangers on the road. I would therefore like to thank Bpost for introducing the Remco Reflex. This will undoubtedly prevent many accidents."
