Richard Plugge defines cycling’s 2025 safety crisis in three words

Plugge’s stance is short but powerful: "Safety without compromise." And that’s exactly where the tension lies in the still somewhat conservative world of cycling—just look at recent incidents in Étoile de Bessèges. A quick glance at Plugge’s X (Twitter) feed in early February shows just how relevant the issue remains: a condolence message for a young British rider who passed away too soon, followed by multiple retweets from CPA president and safety advocate Adam Hansen.

Last week, SafeR, the safety body launched in Bilbao in 2023, held an online press conference. But Plugge is highly critical of how things have unfolded. "There was a great plan. It was ready to go as an independent body and was presented in Bilbao. But in the end, it turned into a political construct where everyone just points fingers at each other. Safety must be without compromise. Now the focus is shifting to the speed of the riders, but come on—just remove the sidewalk from the Tour, the one that Primož Roglič and Alexey Lutsenko crashed over. That cost Red Bull a top Tour finish and millions in damage."

"With all the experts involved in setting up SafeR, we determined that safety is about both rider behavior and course design," he continues. "But that fundamental idea is too often ignored. Look at MotoGP—those bikes go five times faster than us. And yet, we finish a race in front of a city hall where cars aren’t even allowed because it’s deemed too dangerous. Where the speed limit is 20 km/h, but we arrive at 70."

"Teams are willing to invest money in this. Even if it saves just one rider per year, it’s already worth it," says Visma | Lease a Bike boss Richard Plugge, who saw stars like Wout van Aert and Jonas Vingegaard sidelined for long periods last season. "It comes down to decision-making: do they really want to address the issue, or are they just playing politics?", he wonders aloud. "So it's up to the sport and the UCI to enforce on race organizers."

Plugge is frustrated that attention keeps getting diverted elsewhere. "It’s annoying that people always point to other factors instead of focusing on this. But that’s out of our hands. What we can control is what we do ourselves. There have been times when our own riders admitted they could have ridden more cautiously, so we’ve looked closely at that," he acknowledges, making it clear he’s not just pointing fingers.

"We first look at what we can do within the team to prevent crashes. We’ve analyzed crashes and illnesses within our squad. We’re actively working on it—cognitive testing, training, and so on. Unfortunately, this isn’t just an issue for us, but for other teams as well. You can see it now with Remco Evenepoel, who will be sidelined for a while."

Plugge emphasizes the need to make races safer, "so that when riders do crash, the consequences are less severe. Jonas is a prime example—he fell in a place that could have been made safer. And he’s not the only one; look at Jay Vine as well," he says, reflecting on the horrific crash in the Tour of the Basque Country.

Safety is, and will remain, a pressing issue—something Plugge, who lives in densely populated the Netherlands, is well aware of. "I think cycling will look very different in ten years, simply because the world around it is changing. In many places, racing the way we do now is becoming practically impossible due to traffic, permits, and other factors. Ten years ago, the Tour of Flanders was heavily criticized for introducing circuit-style racing, but if they tried to reverse that decision now… it would spark another revolution in Belgium. I think cycling will have to adapt more in that direction to remain manageable."

He offers an example: "These days, it’s almost impossible to organize a race around Nice because of all the road infrastructure. It’s getting harder and harder." That being said, he acknowledges positive changes as well. "Look at the Tour of the Netherlands—it should be organized with the future of cycling in mind," he says, referring to the new Dutch stage race presented this week.

"When we talk about budgets, which may soon be capped, it’s about growing the sport to new heights. The arrival of Red Bull is fantastic for cycling. INEOS is also an incredible partner. Having such big-name brands involved in the sport is obviously a huge win," says Richard Plugge, who welcomes the growing investment in cycling. He also supports the potential involvement of Saudi investors in the sport. "A lot of money is flowing into cycling from different directions. Personally, I’m always happy with any support that helps grow the sport—because it gets more people on bikes, moving from A to B using human power instead of cars."

"Our competition is not Picnic or UAE—it’s football and Formula 1," Plugge reiterates, echoing a point he has made many times. "We need to ensure that we can compete with an F1 team or a football club. In Belgium, it’s different, but in the Netherlands, Tom Dumoulin can walk around Amsterdam, and no one will recognize him. That’s not a problem for him, but it is a problem for cycling. How do we change that? By having the top riders race against each other more often."

That’s where ONE Cycling comes in, a project Plugge is a key advocate for. "David Lappartient wants to leave the sport in a better place. Everyone is facing the same issue—where will cycling be in ten years? Right now, we have a golden opportunity, and we need to protect it. Lappartient understands that we need to move forward." And with Lappartient rumored to be preparing for a leadership role at the IOC, the UCI presidency may soon become vacant. Would Plugge be interested? "I don’t see myself as UCI president. I’m not a politician. David is a great one, but I’m more of a businessman than a politician," he says with a smile.

Finally, where does Visma | Lease a Bike stand in this evolving sport? "For several years now, we’ve ranked fifth or sixth in budget size. We have reliable sponsors, which is crucial. So far, we can keep up, but we always want to remain within striking distance of the top teams."

And for Plugge, perception is key, at least for 2025. "Of course, you need to finish high in the WorldTour standings and win a lot of races. In 2023, we weren’t objectively the number one team in the WorldTour ranking, but everyone I spoke to said we were the best team in the world. That was what mattered most. Whether we finished first, second, or third in the WorldTour… that’s secondary."