The champion of the 2019 Tour de France and the 2021 Giro d’Italia, spoke on Twitter about the risk of each cyclist in high-performance competitions and the security that each one should have
Cycling – Tour de France – Stage 11 – Chatelaillon-Plage to Poitiers – France – September 9, 2020. Team INEOS Grenadiers rider Egan Bernal of Colombia, wearing the white jersey for best young rider, before the start. Pool via REUTERS/Anne-Christine Poujoulat
Colombian cyclist Egan Bernal reacted on Twitter to the unusual accident that occurred this Sunday, June 5, at the end of the third stage of the Vuelta a Colombia 2022 between the cyclist Luis Carlos Chía and his wife Claudia Rubiano, in Montería.
Chía, winner of the stage between Sincelejo and Montería, had an accident with his wife when he crossed the finish line and could not dodge it, since he was close to it, located in front of the San Jerónimo cathedral in the capital of Córdoba, with the group of photojournalists and journalists who cover the competition.
Egan, champion of the 2019 Tour de France and the 2021 Giro d’Italia with the British team Ineos and who is recovering from a serious accident, expressed his discomfort in three sentences and severely criticized the organization of the event, in this case the Colombian Cycling Federation.
In his personal account on the blue bird network he wrote that“It is a Tour of Colombia, cyclists literally risk our lives to put on a show, but the safety of each one must be guaranteed“. She did it by citing a video of the accident and with an emoji that is often used in social networks to refer to the obvious.
And it is not for less, because Claudia Rubiano, Chía’s wife, who previously worked as a professional cyclist, now accompanies her husband as a photojournalist in competitions and suffered the consequences of a bad location. Precisely, fulfilling this graphic reporting job, Rubiano was located a few meters from the finish line, next to the group of reporters, but she was not able to move away when her husband crossed the finish line at a speed of 60 kilometers per hour.
“I wanted to brake, but the bike didn’t respond to me. Just as she was, she could have been someone else. Thank God she never lost consciousness. They are reviewing her and more than anything it was the scare. She knew that you sprint too high. How can you not run at that moment”, said Chía,leader of the general classification after winning two of the three stages that have been held until this Sunday.
It is worth noting that before the definition there were 3 falls, which reduced the group of auctioneers to a handful of riders. In addition, the lack of organization caused the many accompanying motorcycles to arrive alongside the runners, pouring water from the large puddles on the final straight as a result of the rain that fell at the end of the stage. These irresponsibly splashed them and of course took away their vision, maneuvering space and even hindered them in the sprint.
Given this fact, the Colombian Cycling Federation has not commented.
It is a Tour of Colombia, cyclists literally risk our lives to put on a show, but the safety of each. 🤌🏽 https://t.co/BCPqvq7RfI
— Egan Arley Bernal (@Eganbernal) June 5, 2022
Accident in Corozal
It is not the first fact unusual event that has generated an accident so far in the 2022 Vuelta a Colombia. The previous Saturday, during the second stage, which began in Cartagena and ended in Sincelejo, there was another event that caused all the rejection of the world of cycling in the country. Passing through Corozal, Sucre, an unscrupulous person threw a piece of cardboard onto the road where the cyclists were running and caused several of them to fall, including the local Johan Colón, who despite this finished second in the stage, only by behind Nelson Soto, winner of the same in the final sprint.
Fourth stage
The fourth stage of the Vuelta a Colombia will be held this Monday between the Antioquia municipalities of Caucasia and Yarumal, in Antioquia, over a distance of 158.4 kilometers, with two special sprints and two mountain prizes in dispute.