UCI no longer allows enemy stages with a descending road surface in the last straight line. During such a sprint, Fabio Jacobsen was seriously injured on tour to Poland last year.
UCI’s Director of Road Cycling, Matthew Knight, explained the new safety rules in a webinar including: “The end where Fabio Jacobsen crashes badly will not be used anymore.” Flash cycling. “Races with increased speeds of 15 to 20 kilometers per hour are no longer permitted due to the difference in altitude.”
Knight also reported that in sprint stages there would be a ban on entrants with curves within 200 meters of the end, as was the case on the Switzerland Tour. The UCI will consult with race organizers to prevent such access.
Polish media already reported on January 8 that there would be no more sprints in Katowice after the Jacobsen accident. The Deceuninck-Quick-Step rider was propelled to the gates at a speed of over 80 kilometers per hour by Dylan Groenewegen and was in a coma for several days.
Jacobsen is still recovering from his injury, but he’s hoping to make a comeback this year. Groenewegen was suspended by UCI until May.
Since 2010, the Sprint Stage of the Poland Tour has been held on the same descending road in Katowice. This year, the city will also serve as the finish site, but the finish line will be drawn elsewhere.
