Vingegaard doubles down on safety concerns, as Paris–Nice organisers respond

A frustrated Vingegaard had already voiced his concerns after stage 1. Speaking after his season opener, he said the route was not up to WorldTour standard. “I didn’t think today’s course was very good,” he said. “I didn’t think it was suitable for a WorldTour race. Bad roads, constantly turning left and right, holes in the road surface. Especially the last descent, which we rode three times, was not good enough for a WorldTour race.” Those remarks were also reflected in IDL Procycling’s earlier coverage of the stage.

After the second stage, Vingegaard appeared slightly calmer, but he made clear that speaking up still matters. In comments carried by TuttoBiciWeb, he said: “Sometimes it’s like banging your head against a wall. But somehow I feel responsible for improving things in cycling. If we don’t say anything, nothing will happen. I want to be the leader of the peloton not only for my results but also for safety.”

In recent years, rider safety has become an increasingly urgent issue in the peloton. Riders and teams have repeatedly sounded the alarm after a number of major crashes, including several with fatal consequences. The deaths of Gino Mäder, Muriel Furrer and André Drege have all intensified the debate around how races are organised and how the sport should better protect its riders.

Vingegaard also stressed that responsibility does not lie with organisers alone. “It’s a matter of reciprocity,” he said. “It’s clear that we riders also have a huge responsibility, but that also applies to the organisers. We cannot just point the finger at others. Yesterday too, there was a lot of discussion in the peloton about how people behave. In general, we need to show more mutual respect in the bunch.”

Vingegaard’s words inevitably carried weight. ASO, the organiser of Paris–Nice, gave a brief response to the criticism. “We work closely with the CPA, with the three rider representatives appointed by the CPA for Paris–Nice and with the commission members, and we have not received any negative feedback,” the organisation said.