Cyclists to wear GPS tracking devices as part of wider bid to improve rider safety
World cycling's governing body is asking one rider from each team to wear a tracking device at the three-day women's event in Switzerland, beginning Friday.
The same technology will then be used at the road world championships in Kigali, Rwanda, from Sept. 21-28, where every rider — from junior to elite level — will have to carry the device.
'The objective of this test is to refine the UCI's safety tracking software and establish protocols to provide real-time data to race control, medical teams and UCI Commissaires,' the UCI said in a statement. 'This system will strengthen the monitoring of rider safety during races and enable rapid response in case of incidents. This represents an important step forward in ensuring the safety of riders."
At last year's world championships, 18-year-old cyclist Muriel Furrer died after sustaining a head injury in a crash.
She was competing in the junior women's event on rain-slicked roads when she crashed in a forest area south of Zurich. She reportedly lay alone for almost an hour and a half before she was discovered at the side of the road and airlifted by helicopter to the hospital.
Two years ago, Gino Mäder suffered a fatal crash at the Tour de Suisse. The 26-year-old rider went off the road and crashed into a ravine during a descent and died from his injuries the next day.
Last month, 19-year-old Italian rider Samuele Privitera died following a crash in the first stage of the Tour of Valle D'Aosta in northwest Italy.
'It's really sad to lose another young talent,' four-time Tour de France champion Tadej Pogačar said the day after the crash. "It is one of the most dangerous sports in the world I think, and the risk that we are taking sometimes is too far.'
___
AP sports: https://apnews.com/sports
Jerome Pugmire, The Associated Press
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Forbes
4 hours ago
- Forbes
On Releasing The Roger Pro Fire Performance Tennis Shoe
Roger Federer's presence in tennis continues to grow, thanks to his burgeoning stable of tennis performance and lifestyle shoes from On. Next up: The Roger Pro Fire, launching Aug. 19. 'When we kicked off The Roger Pro Fire, the ambition was to create a shoe that was more rugged and protective in what it provided to high-level players,' Edwin Janes of On tennis product strategy tells me. 'Where The Roger Pro 2 was designed for more all-court play and agility, we focused on dialing up the durability and stability on the Pro Fire for aggressive lateral movements and sliding.' With that, the new The Roger Pro Fire focuses on protection in the upper, a revamped lacing system and an updated bottom unit that features a new Speedboard propulsion plate. Janes says that Flavio Cobolli was the first to switch to The Roger Pro Fire, followed by Joao Fonseca—Iga Swiatek and Ben Shelton wear The Roger Pro 2—giving On two distinct performance models on the tour. 'We're always looking to identify gaps in the range,' Janes says. 'The Roger Pro Fire represents an opportunity to deepen our footwear offer in tennis. Roger and the team recognized a gap in the product range: a shoe for the modern-day explosive and aggressive player, one that slides to corners even on hard courts and goes for aggressive cuts.' MORE: On's The Roger Footwear Line Modernizing And Growing To build the performance side of The Roger franchise—Janes says expanding the lineup by catering to all styles of tennis athletes was a must—a unique technical feature of The Roger Pro Fire is the bottom unit. The midsole features a softer foam underfoot for shock absorption and cushioning, surrounded by a stiffer foam for stability. The Speedboard plate—not made with carbon fiber like The Roger Pro and The Roger Pro 2—has a unique geometry that extends into the forefoot, engineered to provide support and energy return to the midfoot during lateral movement while still offering flexibility under the toe box, all without compromising stability. The lacing structure on The Roger Pro Fire is designed to give support and lockdown to the midfoot, Janes says. There's a caging system like The Roger Pro 1 and 2 but updated with laces at the top of the eyestay hidden on the medial (inside) to prevent breaking. Overlays and reinforcements on the medial side of the shoe are designed to stand up to sliding. 'The Roger Pro Fire was made for frequent, high-level, competitive tennis players who need their footwear to play as fast, strong and aggressive as they play,' Janes says. 'Players who favor an attacking baseline style and need a lot of protection with sliding will have a great option in the Pro Fire.' The Roger Pro Fire now sits alongside The Roger Pro and The Roger Pro 2 as high-level performance models. The Roger Advantage Pro and The Roger Clubhouse Pro offer everyday court-ready shoes, while the franchise includes the lifestyle offerings of The Roger Centre Court, The Roger Advantage, The Roger Clubhouse and The Roger Spin. Designers wanted to capture the energy and passion of Federer on the latest model, Janes says, so The Roger Pro Fire launches in a bold pink/flame colorway alongside a limited-edition black/pink colorway. 'Roger always challenges us to create footwear that looks great in addition to bringing elite performance,' Janes says, 'and we wanted to honor that with the design of the shoe.'
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Yahoo
Philadelphia Eagles' Cooper DeJean is getting more comfortable at playing safety
Cooper DeJean has been getting reps at safety during training camp ahead of his second season in Philadelphia.
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Yahoo
Terrell Edmunds shows Raiders have a type
Down went Lonnie Johnson Jr. And in comes Terrell Edmunds. After losing one veteran safety to a broken fibula, the Las Vegas Raiders added another in free agency bolstering depth and adding yet another competitor to the defensive backfield. Johnson, 29 years old, was injured during the Silver & Black's open scrimmage back on Aug. 2. The Kentucky product was part of a rotation at safety and is expected to return at some point in 2025. And his absence left a void. Las Vegas filled it with Edmunds, a 28-year-old veteran. A first-round pick in the 2018 NFL Draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Virginia Tech product fits size, physicality profile the Raiders seek from defenders under general manager John Spytek and head coach Pete Carroll. 'He just said he wanted to see high energy right now. High energy, see how well I can pick up the playbook,' Edmunds said when asked what Carroll wants to see from the veteran safety. 'Just play fast, just go out there and play free and just go out there and help out the team.' Edmunds' arrival shows the Silver & Black definitely have a type. Las Vegas is going throwback when it comes to the safety position as in comes the 6-foot-1 and 217-pound Edmunds to fill the gap left by the 6-foot-2 and 221-pound Johnson. The size/speed element that was ever present in the Silver & Black glory days are returning it seems. Looking at the safety group overall, of the nine players at the position, only two are under the 6-feet threshold in terms of height. The Raiders added Jeremy Chinn (6-foot-3 and 220 pounds) via free agency and re-signed Isaiah Pola-Mao (6-foot-3 and 204 pounds) this offseason. And it's that duo that's slated to be the starting safeties for defensive coordinator Patrick Graham's unit. The shortest in the room are: Chris Smith II (5-foot-10, 197 pounds) and Thomas Harper (5-foot-10, 189 pounds). Trey Taylor stands 6-feet, 205 pounds while JT Woods is 6-foot-2 and 195 pounds and Hudson Clark measures in at 6-feet, 189 pounds. Hokie Dokie Edmunds is in the mold of a downhill safety who makes his presence known with physicality, showcasing that skillset during his first five seasons in the league in Pittsburgh out of Virginia Tech. During that span, he racked up 410 total tackles (276 solo), 15 tackles for loss, five sacks, nine quarterback hits, five interceptions, and 26 pass deflections. Edmunds was a regular for the Steelers playing in 84 games with 79 starts. Since then, however, Edmunds career hit a plateau and then dropped off. He spent 2023 with two teams — the Philadelphia Eagles and Tennessee Titans — and the 2024 campaign with two more squads — the Jacksonville Jaguars and Steelers. He notched just four starts during that timespan and 55 total tackles (39 solo), two tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, two quarterback hits, one interception and two pass deflections in those seasons. Entering his eighth season in the NFL, Edmunds jumps right into the fray in Las Vegas. Outside of the two starting spots that Chinn and Pola-Mao currently occupy, there are rotational snaps to be had. Especially if the Raiders deploy more big nickel formations that sees three safeties on the field at the same time with Chinn either playing close to the line of scrimmage or in the slot. This provides an opening for another safety to tandem with Pola-Mao in the backfield. 'The main thing I'll say, you just got to love the journey. It's like anything in life. You're never going to be on your high horse forever. Eventually, you got to just get it out the mud. You got to be a dog in the corner and fight your way out of it. And I guess you can say that's what I'm going now, just by getting another opportunity to come out here just showing why I belong. Show them why I can compete and make this team.' If Edmunds can showcase his ability to assimilate, produce, and be active and available, he has a golden opportunity to breath new life into his career — much like linebackers Devin White and Jamal Adams are attempting to do in Las Vegas. Both are former first-round picks like Edmunds. The Raiders were once the bastion for career renaissance for highly drafted flame outs. And could be once again. Quote of Note 'No, it definitely resonates. And it's not corny at all. It's something that he truly, truly believes in, and he's done a good job relaying that to us, and we've done a good job taking that in and buying into the culture that he's bought. One of our main slogans is 'Always compete' and I feel like we go out there on the field every day and we reflect that, because that's what he preaches to us every single day, no matter what. No matter what went on the day before, what went on a minute before, hour before, he always preaches that, and it reflects in our team.'
