Brennan says it is disgraceful nothing has changed since Tarling death

Britain's Matthew Brennan says it is "disgraceful that nothing has changed" to make cycling safer since the death of Fin Tarling last month.

Brennan, 21, spoke after Tarling's funeral in Aberystwyth on Thursday. His words were reported by BBC Sport on 18 September.

Tarling was 19 when he died on 14 August during the Volta a Portugal. He was involved in a high-speed collision with a van that had strayed onto a closed road during Stage 8 of the race in Portugal.

Tarling's death shook the British peloton, the main pack of professional riders, and the wider sport. His funeral brought many in cycling together in Aberystwyth this week.

Brennan races for the Dutch team Visma-Lease a Bike. He has had a breakthrough season and won five stages at the recent Vuelta a Espana, one of cycling's three three-week Grand Tours alongside the Tour de France and Giro d'Italia.

Speaking as one of the sport's fastest-rising young riders, Brennan called for an independent organisation to hold the UCI, cycling's world governing body, and other bodies to strict rules that put rider safety first. He said riders need an outside authority with the power to enforce change, rather than leaving safety decisions to the same organisations that run the races.

His intervention follows other deaths in road racing. Six riders have died during road races in the past three years. American rider Ezra Caudell remains in hospital with "multi-system trauma" after a crash at the Philadelphia Cycling Classic.

Earlier this month the UCI proposed introducing GPS trackers at all races to pinpoint riders' locations at all times. The plan is intended to improve the response when riders crash, particularly on remote or poorly marshalled sections of course.

Brennan is not the first voice from his team to demand more. Visma team boss Richard Plugge criticised the UCI for a lack of action after Tarling's death, as reported by Cyclingnews and The Guardian in late August.

For fans, this means the debate over safety will not fade with the end of the summer stage races. A 21-year-old with five Grand Tour stage wins is choosing to use his platform to press for structural reform, not just better equipment or course tape.