Tosh Van der Sande @toshvds - Twitter Profile

Thank you for the message directed at me & the work that I & the CPA do. But lets not look at this through a microscope, lets take a step back & consider the broader picture, as you have focused solely on organizers and the appeal of cycling to fans. How many deaths have occurred among race organizers in recent years? I dont mean the death of a company-I mean the death of an individual. Ive never heard of a single 1. Maybe you can enlighten me? Now, deaths of cyclists in road races have been far 2 many for my liking. Maybe you think it’s acceptable to take risks & gamble with someone’s life, but I do not. You’ve touched on 2 topics: Organizers & fans. 1st Fans-Recently, watching pro cycling, I would not let my child to race bikes, it has become too dangerous. I hear the same from x-pros & fans alike. The rising number of deaths will kill the sport in the long run. I take a long-term perspective rather than focusing on just a one race today. If we want to keep fans—especially those who ride their bikes, dream of becoming pros, or even just participate in local events—we must ensure that cycling is safe for everyone. If its not safe for the pros, who should be the best bike handlers, then its not safe for anyone. 2nd Organizers-last year, we saw an excessive number of crashes. Many riders were out for most of the season. The fans & organizers, wants the best riders competing together in their races to create the best show. That benefits everyone. I really feel you fail to understand the life of a procyclist. Death is the worst-case scenario, but a crash can also end a riders career. Most riders dont have a backup plan because of the time commitment required to reach the pro level. If a cyclists career is cut short due to a crash, its over for them. Even a “mild” crash can ruin half a season, making it extremely hard to secure another contract. You'd be surprised how often this happens. The CPA negotiates insurance policies with teams each year to increase disability benefits, even now, those benefits are not up to the standard we want. Even a minor crash that forces a rider to miss a key race—perhaps their main objective or teams—can have massive implications for their contract renewal. Inside teams, there is constant competition. Riders never want to show weakness in front of their DS, as weaker riders will be replaced by a teammate at the next important race. So dont assume its easy for a rider to "just stop” racing. A TDF team may have 8 riders, but there are 22 others fighting for those spots, constantly proving that they are tougher than the next guy. Ironically we joked that we are just racehorses. Because as soon as a rider is down, they are out. We are all replaceable. Its a cutthroat sport. Good riders are being replaced by younger ones who havent yet proven themselves, as teams gamble on future stars. Careers are now shorter than ever. If financial fairness measures are implemented, it wouldnt make a dent in the organizers finances. However, it would result in massive pay cuts for riders—individuals with families to support, providing a roof over their heads and food on the table. This would cause significant issues on a personal level. Yet, here you are, writing an article about sustainability for organizers & fans while prioritizing their interests over rider safety. Riders have far more to lose than organizers. They can lose financially or even their lives. The facts are, the riders followed the UCI Regulations which should have resulted the race neutralized for an alternative than canceling it. Slowing down the field & communicating together. However, other stakeholders did not follow the regulations. Despite 10 different crashes involving over 50 riders within a 25km stretch—13km of which was already neutralized for safety reasons. So, if other stakeholders refuse to communicate or find an alternative, what do you suggest? Remember, my job is to represent the riders. They are humans, not race horses

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Tosh Van der Sande @Toshvds

almost 2 years ago

This cycling is getting out of hand

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Tosh Van der Sande @Toshvds

almost 2 years ago

@Tomashuuns Again !

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Toshvds retweeted

Richard Plugge @RichardPlugge

about 2 years ago

It was chaos today, without radios. @UCI_cycling cannot continue with this radio ban. It turns the race into a complete farce like we saw in the olympics where riders cannot call the car for basic assistance (in case of a mechanical). Hopefully no one was too badly hurt today.

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Tosh Van der Sande @Toshvds

over 2 years ago

A yersey for Tosh from Tosh 😇

Team Visma | Lease a Bike

@vismaleaseabike

over 2 years ago

🇧🇪 #BaloiseBelgiumTour ✍️🤗

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Toshvds retweeted

Team Visma | Lease a Bike

@vismaleaseabike

over 2 years ago

🇧🇪 #FlecheWallonne T&T. 🟡

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Tosh Van der Sande @Toshvds

over 2 years ago

@HansenAdam Great job @HansenAdam ! Let them talk...

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over 2 years ago

@Harm_VH @lotto_dstny Wa ne coureur

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Tosh Van der Sande @Toshvds

over 2 years ago

@HansenAdam @annepopkema @Tim_Wellens @giroditalia Yeah and by doing that , the peloton got closer to the breakaway ( guess who was in that breakaway ) ! Great joke... 🙄

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