Trentin calls for safer barriers after team-mate Hodeg seriously injured in Eurometropole crash (+ video)

Matteo Trentin, runner-up in the men’s elite road race at the UCI Road World Championships last weekend, has called for safer crash barriers at pro bike races after his Deceuninck-Quick Step team mate Alvaro Hodeg sustained multiple fractures in a crash at the Eurometropole one-day race in Belgium yesterday.

Hodeg, one of the favourites for the race having won the Münsterland Giro on Thursday, sustained fractures to his left forearm, right shoulder and two ribs in the crash, and required surgery.

He had been in a good position to launch his sprint coming into the final corner, but came down heavily after he clipped the protruding foot of a crash barrier.

Writing on Twitter in response to a post from Pro Cycling Stats, Trentin called for similar barriers to be banned from races – and emphasised his point by highlighting some of the things for which riders may be sanctioned under UCI rules.

The problem is not only there. We go at 60 km/h or more also in other part of the race. That kind barriers should be banned EVERYWHERE! Just look how dangerous they were in the worlds or i the GT TT this year! Flat feet barriers are available everywhere in the world! https://t.co/GQISjoagdf

— Matteo Trentin (@MATTEOTRENTIN) October 5, 2019

The problem is not only there. We go at 60 km/h or more also in other part of the race. That kind barriers should be banned EVERYWHERE! Just look how dangerous they were in the worlds or i the GT TT this year! Flat feet barriers are available everywhere in the world! https://t.co/GQISjoagdf

— Matteo Trentin (@MATTEOTRENTIN) October 5, 2019

The race was won by Piet Allegaert of Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise, with Deceuninck-Quick Step’s Florian Sénéchal second.