A tragedy that will go down in the history of the Tour of Portugal and world cycling. Finlay Tarling, a 19-year-old cyclist from the NSN Development Team, died on Friday afternoon, after being run over by a utility vehicle that was not part of the caravan, in Arcozelo, in the municipality of Ponte de Lima, during the eighth stage of the race.
British cyclist Finlay Tarling dies in accident at the Tour of Portugal
A tragedy that will go down in the history of the Tour of Portugal and world cycling. Finlay Tarling, a 19-year-old cyclist from the NSN Development Team, died on Friday afternoon, after being run over by a utility vehicle that was not...
The alert for the accident came around 3:30 pm, and confirmation of the young cyclist's death came about an hour and a half later, at 5 pm, leading to the suspension of the stage. The last 20 kilometers of the route between Melgaço and Fafe were covered in an atmosphere of mourning, with the cyclists coming together in a moment of pain and leaving aside the...
- The last 20 kilometers of the route between Melgaço and Fafe were covered in an atmosphere of mourning, with the cyclists coming together in a moment of pain and leaving aside the colors of...
- Outside, the public remained in place, but exchanged the usual enthusiasm, provoked by the cyclists' passage on national roads, for applause, in a tribute led by Finlay Tarling's five...
- International mourning Finlay Tarling's death shocked Portugal and joined the list of the most unexpected losses in national sport, but it quickly crossed borders, bringing to light the...
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The alert for the accident came around 3:30 pm, and confirmation of the young cyclist's death came about an hour and a half later, at 5 pm, leading to the suspension of the stage.
The last 20 kilometers of the route between Melgaço and Fafe were covered in an atmosphere of mourning, with the cyclists coming together in a moment of pain and leaving aside the colors of their shirts that make them opponents. Outside, the public remained in place, but exchanged the usual enthusiasm, provoked by the cyclists' passage on national roads, for applause, in a tribute led by Finlay Tarling's five teammates — the Spaniard Álvaro García, the Australian Zac Marriage, the Canadian Ben Morin, the Dane Emil Nielsen and the Australian Ales Hewes —, who continued at the front of the peloton.
International mourning
Finlay Tarling's death shocked Portugal and joined the list of the most unexpected losses in national sport, but it quickly crossed borders, bringing to light the feeling of a shared loss.
The news had repercussions in various parts of the world and was highlighted in the main sports newspapers, such as L'Équipe, a French newspaper known for giving great attention to cycling.
The circumstances of death
Finlay Tarling's death occurred on a curve with reduced visibility, but everything indicates that the vehicle involved in the accident entered the route even before the broom car passed.
A source from the Viana do Castelo GNR Territorial Command told Lusa, shortly after the accident, that "a utility vehicle was on the road traveling in the opposite direction to the race and the cyclist collided, and the tragic situation occurred."
Later, SIC reported that authorities are investigating how the utility vehicle managed to surpass the security perimeter while the race was still underway. At the same time, the driver of the vehicle, who is in a state of shock, remains hospitalized and underwent toxicological tests, as well as tests to check the presence of alcohol in his blood. The results will be decisive for the outcome of the investigation.
What happens now in the Volta a Portugal?
Despite Tarling's death, the Tour of Portugal is expected to resume this Saturday, with the double climb to Senhora da Graça. The cyclists will cover 142.3 kilometers between Paredes and the sanctuary of Nossa Senhora da Graça, in Mondim de Basto, after the president of the Portuguese Cycling Federation, Cândido Barbosa, stated on Friday afternoon that the race "will have to continue".
However, the peloton will be reduced to 89 cyclists, as the NSN Development Team has decided to withdraw from the competition.
This Sunday, the 10th and final stage of this edition of the Volta a Portugal will be held, with a route between Maia and Porto. Frenchman Alexis Guérin (Anicolor-Campicarn) wears the yellow jersey.
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