Maeve Plouffe safety concern follows Tour of Britain stage one

Maeve Plouffe said she was nearly hit by a car while attempting to rejoin the peloton after a puncture on the opening stage of the Tour of Britain Women, with race organisers saying they are reviewing the incident with her team.

The 27-year-old Australian rider, who competes for British continental side O’Shea Red Chilli Bikes, said the incident occurred on a roundabout during Wednesday’s stage, which started and finished in Cockermouth. Plouffe was chasing back towards the bunch and said the race convoy was still visible when members of the public were driving towards her.

In an Instagram post, Plouffe said she was less than two minutes behind the peloton and had cars coming at her from different directions, including one which nearly hit her at the roundabout. She said she later felt safer when accompanied by a moto escort.

The comments have drawn added attention because they came shortly after the death of 19-year-old British rider Fin Tarling, who was killed in a high-speed collision with a van during the Volta a Portugal. Before the Tour of Britain Women began, all 114 riders and spectators took part in a minute’s applause after a photograph of Tarling was projected on to a large screen.

Organisers say rider safety is the priority

Jonathan Day, events director of British Cycling Ventures, which organises the Tour of Britain Women, said Plouffe’s account was being treated seriously. He said rider safety was paramount in the planning and operation of every race and confirmed that organisers were reviewing what happened with Plouffe and O’Shea Red Chilli Bikes.

Day also acknowledged the difficult period for the cycling community and said the organisation wanted to reassure riders, teams and fans that it was approaching the matter with the seriousness and empathy required.

Plouffe’s post referred to the potential consequences of unsafe situations on the road, particularly in the aftermath of Tarling’s death. Tarling was the younger brother of Netcompany Ineos rider Josh Tarling, who was named on Thursday in the team’s line-up for the Vuelta a Espana, beginning on Saturday.

The second stage of the Tour of Britain Women also brought disruption in Lancashire. The 110.5km route from Clitheroe to Blackpool was raced in wet conditions, and the peloton had to divert after lorries blocked the course. The stage was later temporarily stopped to allow emergency service vehicles through following a road accident.

There was more than 1,000 metres of climbing early in the stage, followed by attacks throughout the day. A later crash involved Britain’s Anna Morris and Katie Scott, along with Australia’s Georgia Baker, although all three were able to remount their bikes.

Wiebes extends her control of the race

Lorena Wiebes retained the leader’s green jersey by winning stage two in 3 hours 29 minutes 26 seconds. The Dutch rider of SD Worx-Protime launched her sprint with 250 metres remaining and crossed the line several lengths clear of Maggie Coles-Lyster of Human Powered Health and Kim Le Court of AG Insurance-Soudal.

Wiebes now leads the overall classification after two stages in 7 hours 32 minutes 15 seconds. Italy’s Chiara Consonni of Canyon-Sram is 14 seconds behind in second, while Le Court is listed at the same time as Consonni in third. Karlijn Swinkels is fourth at 15 seconds, with Britain’s Josie Nelson fifth at 16 seconds.

The race moves to north Wales for Friday’s 104.7km third stage from Mold to Llandudno. Its steep finish up Great Orme could provide an opportunity for the overall lead to change, while the event continues under scrutiny after Plouffe’s safety concerns.