Gianni Bugno, president of the CPA riders' association, called the death threats made to Dylan Groenewegen after his crash at the Tour de Pollogne "inexcusable, unworthy, and vile" and claimed that the "dangerous barriers" determined the severity of the fall and caused Fabio Jacobsen to suffer serious facial injuries. He claimed that the "dangerous barrier" determined the severity of the fall and caused Fabio Jacobsen to suffer serious facial injuries.

After the incident, Grunewegen revealed that he had been taken into police custody amidst a wave of hate mail and even death threats. In a recent interview with the Dutch magazine Helden (opens in new tab), the Jumbo Visma sprinter told of a package that arrived at his home containing a noose for him and his partner to hang their newborn child.

Groenewegen, who sparked the crash in August when he strayed off line in the high-speed downhill finish in Katowice, received a landmark nine-month ban from the UCI in November. He immediately expressed his contrition, but now that Jacobsen is back on the bike and recovering well, he has made clear the extent of the backlash.

Bugno and the CPA have intensified their fight for improved safety standards, and several new rules regarding roadside barriers and finish areas may be introduced during the 2021 season.

"After the incident at the Tour de Pollogne, I read the threats Dylan Groenewegen received and learned in the press that he was placed under police protection fearing the worst for him and his family," Bugno said in a CPA statement.

"What happened is unacceptable, unworthy, and vulgar. Words and actions carry weight, and the words and actions directed at this man are unacceptable."

Bugno also called for the organizers of the Tour de Pollogne to be sanctioned.

"Fabio Jacobsen must be pointed at the dangerous barriers that determined the severity of the fall that he suffered the most serious consequences.

"Dylan made a mistake during the race and he will pay the price for it.

"Time and again the CPA has called on the UCI to impose exemplary sanctions on organizers who show clear deficiencies, but so far only Grunewegen has been disqualified.

Philippe Gilbert and Matteo Trentin, as riders' representatives, are expected to hold a series of meetings with the UCI Management Committee over the winter, initially to approve a series of new measures to be applied in World Tour races.

"It is finally time to move from words to action.

"The first point on our list of demands, which we sincerely hope will be operational as soon as possible, concerns barriers that need to be homologated and certified. It must protect athletes who, in the heat of competition, may make mistakes, as happened to Dylan last August 5.

"As a movement, we must do everything possible to ensure the safety of the competition and its protagonists. It is our duty to avoid the physical and mental suffering that Fabio, Dylan, and many other cyclists, both women and men, have experienced and are experiencing, even in minor categories."

Patrick Lefevre, the team manager of Jacobsen's Detunink Quickstep team, immediately threatened Groenewegen with legal action. Bugno, however, sought understanding.

"I hope that once this controversy is behind us and the sentence handed down to Dylan is carried out, the entire group will welcome him back with friendship and understanding," Bugno said.