As the world's top cyclists descend upon Montreal for the UCI Road World Championships, there's a spectre looming over the event. At least 11 of their compatriots have died in professional races and training rides this year, adding to a growing tally of injuries and deaths in the elite sport. Though safety gear is being developed alongside the evolution of bicycles that can move faster than ever before, an underlying conflict remains in the sport: at what point must safety trump speed? Right now, the average speed of the Tour de France winner is 43.3 km/h, set in 2026 — exactly 19 km/h faster than the average speed set by the winner 100 years ago.
Professional cyclists can top 100 km/h. But safety has not kept pace — and people are dying
