It looks as if one of the defining events of the 2024 season will have been “that” crash at Itzulia Basque a few weeks ago. It changed the complexion of the Tour de France and the Giro d’Italia. And because it involved so many famous riders, it raised questions of safety in a way that a heap of crumpled mid-ranking domestiques somehow never does.
(I heard a story recently from a pro who said that once, as a bunch tried to squeeze into too small a space, he found that on his right was Remco Evenepoel and on his left was a Spanish neo-pro. Faced with a straight choice about which one of them to share a crash with he gave the Spanish rider a glance that clearly said, “I’m sorry, but you know how this works….”)
