When Romain Bardet crashed on stage 13 of the 2020 Tour de France, live TV footage showed him holding his head before being helped gingerly to his feet. He appeared shaken, unsteady and almost certainly in need of medical assessment. Despite this, he was allowed to ride the remaining 90km.
The next day, the Guardian celebrated Bardet’s having ridden “through the pain barrier”. Scans after the stage diagnosed the French rider with a brain haemorrhage, calling into question the actions of officials at the crash scene in allowing him to continue. Riding with a brain injury is not heroic – it is potentially lethal. Thankfully times are changing: pro cyclists and those around them are starting to take concussion far more seriously. Amateur riders need to be aware of the dangers too.
A few weeks ago, when Tom Pidcock crashed during Tirreno-Adriatico, not only did Ineos-Grenadiers team doctors pull him out of the race as soon as they suspected concussion
