Race organisers seemingly learn nothing from Finlay Tarling's death; cars on the track again in German race

The 2026 SauerlandRundfahrt was marred by dangerous situations during Stage 1 of the individual time trial on Thursday. On a course of just 13.7 kilometers around Brilon, the organisers were unable to keep the road clear of cars and other hazards. This incident comes shortly after the death of Finlay Tarling, who died in the Tour of Portugal following a collision with a car.

The Sauerland Rundfahrt is a 2.2-category race, which kicked off on Thursday with a time trial. Ben Zwiehoff of Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe won, but afterward, the talk was mainly about a photo showing a car driving in the opposite direction of Louis Leidert (Lidl-Trek) on the course. The German rider was able to avoid the car. Later in the final stretch, he encountered another car.

In the rest of the video, however, many more cars can be seen, waiting patiently at on-ramps or intersections. Stewards can also be seen ensuring that the road remains clear. However, that didn’t work out for Leidert near Brilon. And it’s unclear whether other riders also encountered vehicles along the route.

In Germany, everything went smoothly, and all 105 riders who started their time trial finished. At the same time, however, it is a sad reality that, so soon after the death of a rider at the Tour of Portugal, images of cars in a cycling race are already surfacing again.

Tarling didn’t survive the horrific crash, and it seems race organisers sadly haven’t learned anything from his terrible tragedy.

Maindy Flyers Cycling Club, organisers of the Llandow Revival Series race in south Wales, are dedicating the sixth and final round of the circuit-racing league to Finlay Tarling.

Money raised from the event will go directly to the 'For Fin' fund, which has already gathered more than £96,000 for young cyclists in Wales.

Tarling's father, Michael, himself an active cyclist, has reportedly signed up for the 3/4 cat race.