Riders at the Giro di Lombardia staged a powerful protest on Saturday, delaying the race's start by five minutes to highlight pressing safety concerns following multiple incidents involving non-race vehicles.

As the countdown concluded, the peloton remained stationary, leading to a moment of confusion until Remco Evenepoel, Belgium’s double Olympic champion, addressed the crowd. He emphasized, “There’s too many incidents happening with vehicles in the race.” Evenepoel referred to the tragic loss of Finlay Tarling, a British cyclist and younger brother of Josh Tarling, who died after a collision with a vehicle during the Tour of Portugal on August 14.

Earlier this week, cyclists Thomas Gloag and Marcel Camprubi were also struck by a police motorcycle during the Tre Valli Varesine. The CPA union, representing professional cyclists, issued a statement asserting:

• “This week alone, there were multiple incidents of vehicles on race courses.”
• “This summer, a life was tragically lost to exactly this kind of failure. We will not stand for this any longer.”

The CPA urged the UCI and race organizers to take responsibility for ensuring safer conditions. After the brief protest, the riders resumed the race to Como, stating, “We did not want to affect the race, only to show what riders can do when we stand as one.” They expressed their love for the sport and respect for race organizers while underscoring the need to return safely to their families.