Strangest anti-cycling campaigner ever? Bike path expansion plans opposed… by 19th-century landowner and MP (kind of); “They wouldn’t have stopped at the Tour de France”: Cyclists refuse to race after 50 riders crash in heavy rain + more on the live blog

That epic, thrilling, right to the final corner battle between titans Fem van Empel and Lucinda Brand (with a smattering of Puck Pieterse) in the elite women’s race, Great Britain’s Zoe going Back to Bäckstedt in the U23s, Mathieu van der Poel blowing away the field to equal Erik De Vlaeminck’s record of seven men’s world cyclocross titles… It’s fair to say this weekend’s cyclocross world championships in Liévin had its fair share of memorable moments.

However, the junior women’s race turned out to one to forget (or perhaps just as memorable, for all the wrong reasons) for Czech rider Barbora Bukovská, who brilliantly bludgeoned her way clear of French rival Lise Revol as she approached the end of the fourth lap, sparking jubilant celebrations from the 16-year-old…

Only to find she still had another lap to go:

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by Eurosport Cycling (@eurosportcycling)

Bukovská’s cowbell-related confusion allowed Revol to latch back on, teeing up a scintillating final lap which saw the French rider pull clear through the last few corners, forcing Bukovská to make a small yet decisive mistake, and leave her ruining that premature celebration, as Revol raised her arms in triumph – this time when it really mattered.

Hey, but at least young Bukovská, at the age of 16, has already entered a very exclusive, and illustrious, cycling club:

> Snatching defeat from the jaws of victory — when cycling celebrations go wrong

Surely that’s better than a cyclocross world title, eh?

February may have only just started, the winter bikes are still out in force, and the cyclocross obsession hasn’t worn off just yet – but we already have our first ‘extreme weather protocol’ scandal of the 2025 road season.

I swear they’re getting earlier every year…

After potholes at the AlUla Tour last week prompted a pre-finish detour, this season’s inaugural showdown between riders and race organisers over safety took place on Saturday, during the penultimate leg of the five-day ‘not a stage race’ Mallorca Challenge.

> “Tech always gets faster – it’s on riders to not do stupid things,” says Tadej Pogačar, after rival team boss called for “slower bikes to save lives” and pro claimed “modern bikes break every time you crash”

Just half an hour and 23km into the hilly Trofeo Andratx-Pollença, which was set to climb the Coll de Puig Major, a mainstay of cycling holidays on the Spanish island, the peloton pulled the pin and decided to neutralise the race due to the wet and treacherous conditions.

According to reports, 50 riders crashed in ten separate spills, with some – including Jordi López of Euskaltel-Euskadi, who injured his shoulder – being taken to hospital, while a number of team car drivers said they were also slipping off the slick Mallorcan roads.

Representatives of the riders’ union, the CPA, then informed the race officials that they would not continue, before heading back to their hotels – a decision that was heavily criticised by the organisers, who questioned why the riders chose to pack up before they could arrange a potentially safer alternative route.

“We respect their decision, but we do not agree with it, and we do not like it at all,” race director Manolo Hernández said on Saturday.

“If this were the Tour de France or Vuelta a España, they would not have stopped. Organising these events takes a lot of effort.

“I’m not saying a stage should never be suspended because the safety of the riders comes first, but many factors need to be considered before making such a decision. If race organisers cannot have a say, perhaps we should stop organising cycling races altogether and find another job.”

However, on Sunday morning – ahead of the final race of the traditional season-opening event in Palma – tensions between the organisers and teams continued to run high, as Movistar DS José Joaquín Rojas claimed that no one from the race organisation was present when the riders stopped racing to discuss any possible alternatives, a claim denied by the Mallorca Challenge team.

And before yesterday’s race, won with a stunning late attack by Portugal’s Olympic champion Iúri Leitão, the organisers got their own back by pulling their announcer from the morning sign-in festivities, leaving the riders alone to wave to the fans without the traditional pomp and circumstance. Very mature stuff.

> “Close your eyes and hope for the best”: Riders’ union president slams cobbled race organisers after pros complain “thick layers of mud” caused crashes

Meanwhile, the CPA’s president Adam Hansen, in his usual style, addressed the issue in a lengthy social media post, defending the rider and arguing that the decision to stop the race was the “right decision to protect their physical integrity and their lives”.

“The start of today’s race was chaotic,” Hansen said on Saturday night. “The road was completely slippery due to the rain, leading to numerous crashes. All medical services were occupied assisting multiple riders, with some even being evacuated to the hospital.

“As of 2025, with the changes to the implementation of the ‘Protocol for Discussions Regarding Extreme Weather Conditions and Rider Safety During Events’, specific actions are outlined for cases where no decision has been made before the start of the race, but safety conditions require action during the race.

“Under UCI regulations, the CPA appoints three riders to represent all riders in such situations. Today, after the start of the race, heavy rain created hazardous road conditions, resulting in more than ten crashes across multiple areas, involving over 50 riders.

“Given that the slippery roads continued to pose a significant risk, the riders realised that the situation would persist unless an alternative solution was implemented. The three designated riders, representing the entire peloton, approached the President of the Commissaires’ Panel to inform them that the race could not safely continue.

“They emphasised that if the race proceeded, crashes would continue, while medical services were already fully engaged with injured riders and hospital transfers.”

> "Profound safety problem" in elite cycling, finds report... but riders union president says it's "getting safer"

He continued: “According to the 2025 updates to the Extreme Weather Protocol (EWP), the President of the Commissaires’ Panel should have neutralised the race (in this case, stopped it to prevent further crashes) and consulted all stakeholders.

“Unfortunately, this did not happen. The riders received no feedback, nor was any alternative plan communicated by the organisers, the commissaires, or the riders’ team directors. At this point, the riders made the decision to protect their physical integrity.

“We also believe that a solution could have been found. Organisers always have a Plan B in case of bad weather affecting the race route. For example, the race could have been neutralised until a safer point and restarted from there.

“The riders made the right decision to protect their physical integrity and their lives. While we acknowledge that a decision could have been made earlier, the next step was not taken by the President of the Commissaires’ Panel (PCP). This should not have been a unilateral decision.

“There should have been discussions between all stakeholders, but unfortunately this did not happen. Riders are the last ones who would want to see a race stopped, as their job is to compete.”

In case you missed it yesterday…

> 20mph speed limit “single most significant change we’ve ever seen,” says Cycling UK as data reveals 100 fewer people killed or seriously injured on Welsh roads – but Conservatives slam “confusion and frustration for drivers”