Pro cyclist’s horror three-metre plunge over guardrail sparks call for more earpieces, gear limits, protective kit, and other safety measures

A horror crash at Milan-Samremo, which saw Martin Svrček plunge unnoticed three metres over a guardrail, has prompted the rider’s Soudal Quick-Step boss to call for increased safety measures at races, including gear restrictions and improved helmets, as well opposing any plans to limit communication between teams and riders.

22-year-old Slovakian pro Svrček, who finished third in the U23 road race at the 2023 world championships in Glasgow, crashed on the descent of the Cipressa towards the end of the opening monument of the season on Saturday, flying over a guardrail and falling three metres before landing.

As he was alone at the time, chasing back to the peloton, the Slovakian’s crash went completely unnoticed by the race convoy. Fortunately, Svrček remained conscious enough to contact his Soudal Quick-Step directors for help through his race radio. They were then able to stop their car and walk 500 metres back up the road, where they found the 22-year-old and treated him for his injuries.

Svrček suffered a fractured collarbone, scapula, and ribs in the shocking crash, which he described on Instagram this week as a “hard moment”, writing that he “will now have to take some time to recover”.

Martin Svrček, 2024 Tour of Britain (credit: Simon Wilkinson/SWpix.com)

Following the crash, Svrček’s Soudal Quick-Step boss Jurgen Foré has this week penned an open letter calling for more robust safety measures to prevent similar incidents happening in the future, arguing that “we can’t ignore this”.

“Because Martin is a young, talented, but not yet well-known rider in our team, the message does not get much attention. But it should. We read that kind of message too often,” Foré, who took over as CEO of the Belgian team from longstanding figurehead Patrick Lefevere in December, a year earlier than originally planned, said in his letter, Sporza reports.

“I don’t want to point the finger at the race organisation. It was a crash that was caused by several factors. But I can’t remain silent either,” he continued.

“Martin crashed on the descent of the Cipressa when he was trying to join the peloton. In a technical bend he went over the guardrail and fell about three metres down. He was completely alone and there were no cars nearby that could have seen him.

“Luckily he was conscious and called for help on the team radio. Our team directors immediately stopped the car and walked back. After 500 metres they found him and were able to treat him.

“In the hospital he/we realised how lucky he/we were that Svrček would recover from the long list of injuries.

“I felt particularly small when I stood next to Martin’s bed in the emergency room in Sanremo. Okay, it’s a race incident, but we can’t ignore this and move on. We must do everything we can to prevent the serious consequences of these types of crashes, or better yet, avoid these crashes altogether.”

Remco Evenepoel and Jurgen Foré (credit: Soudal Quick-Step)

Foré then revealed that Soudal Quick-Step have now established their own “internal safety group” in the wake of the injuries sustained in recent months by Svrček, Antoine Huby, and double Olympic champion Remco Evenepoel, who has missed the start of the season after suffering multiple fractures in a ‘dooring’ incident on a training ride in December.

“We have to do better to avoid such accidents in the future. Three months into the 2025 season, our team has three riders who will be out for months. That is why we are bringing together a group of riders in an internal safety group,” he wrote.

“In that group, we will look at what we can do ourselves to improve safety in our team. That group can also be a sounding board for our bike, equipment, and clothing partners.”

> UCI considering use of “rider airbags” and gear restrictions to “enhance safety”

Looking beyond his own team, Foré suggested a range of measures which he believes should be implemented by the UCI, including the need to ensure that communication between the riders, teams, and organisers is available at all times.

While the use of earpieces in the peloton has been a constant source of debate over the past decade – with some arguing that the constant flurry of tactical information provided over radio by teams harms the spectacle, while increasing stress within the peloton – the need for effective communication, Foré says, has been underlined by Svrček’s crash at Sanremo.

“Let’s embrace technology,” the team boss argued. “For example, we can never again finish a race without communication with the riders. Earpieces are a crucial source of information for the riders, enabling them to call for help.

“They are an essential tool to provide our riders with safety information, but it is also crucial to give riders the opportunity to ask for help if they get into trouble. A tracking system would give the race organisation and the teams a tool to see in real time if a rider gets into a difficult situation and to send help immediately if necessary.

“It could also be useful to analyse racing incidents directly after the race and give the organisers feedback to make their race safer.”

> “Limiting number of gears would make cycling a lot safer,” says Wout van Aert, as Belgian star shares photo of knee scars suffered in horrific Vuelta crash

Meanwhile, Foré also joined the growing number of voices calling for restrictions on the range of gears used by riders, in a bid to lower speeds and reduce the threat of serious, high-speed crashes.

That particular issue made headlines back in January, when Wout van Aert suggested that limiting the pro peloton’s gearing choices “would make cycling a lot safer”. The Belgian’s comments were backed by four-time Tour de France winner Chris Froome, who despite dismissing a return to junior gearing, argued “maybe 56 or 54 needs to be the limit”.

And this week, the Professional Cycling Council (PCC) confirmed that it had accepted a proposal to implement a gear ratio limitation trial later in the season, though this is currently pending approval by the UCI’s management committee.

The Soudal Quick-Step CEO, who says “all stakeholders must take their collective responsibility”, also called for stricter measures concerning the use of extremely narrow handlebars and the positions of shifters, while arguing for “better safety checks on the course, especially at dangerous points”.

He also said improved helmets and protective clothing should be introduced, starting in training and even at the expense of aerodynamics, and that race organisers should consider introducing more localised laps to “make it easier to guarantee optimal safety for the peloton”.

As noted by Foré, the issue of safety in the peloton has dominated debate in pro cycling circles over the past year, in the wake of a 2024 road season marred by horrendous high-speed crashes at Dwars door Vlaanderen and the Itzulia Basque Country a week later, and the tragic deaths of Swiss junior rider Muriel Furrer and Norwegian pro André Drege during races.

In January, the UCI revealed that is considering introducing a range of “equipment-related solutions”, including the use of rider airbags, gear restrictions to reduce top speeds, and clamping down on narrow handlebars, in a bid to “enhance safety” during races.