British cyclist Finlay Tarling, 19, dies in Tour of Portugal crash
LISBON: British cyclist Finlay Tarling, 19, died Friday in a crash during the eighth stage of the Tour of Portugal, race organizers and police said. Tarling, a rider with the NSN Development Team, died following a “serious accident” during the stage between Melgaço and Fafe, organizers said. The podium ceremony was canceled “as a sign of respect and mourning,” they added. A spokesman for Portugal’s National Republican Guard (GNR), Tiago Machado, said there had been a collision between a cyclist and a light vehicle toward the back of the peloton. “We do not yet know exactly the circumstances in which it unfolded. We will investigate,” he told reporters, adding that there was “a strong police presence” throughout the stage. Portuguese broadcaster RTP, which was televising the race, reported that Tarling was involved in a head-on collision with a vehicle traveling in the opposite direction and not connected to the event. The stage was suspended with about 20 kilometers (12 miles) remaining, it added. Jose Marques, who is responsible for stage safety at the Tour of Portugal, said he tries to correct road signage ahead of stages to “give the athletes the maximum protection.” “But there are things we cannot control, such as traffic.
