Three riders out of the eight who abandoned the Tour de France suffered concussions, and naturally, mainstream media is licking its collective chops to push the narrative that cycling is a dangerous sport. CNN, in its never-ending quest to sensationalize every aspect of life, is quick to paint a dramatic picture instead of actually digging into whether this is an anomaly or a symptom of larger issues in the sport.

Meanwhile, you’ve got Fox News attempting to evoke the ‘health crisis’ narrative to feed the fear machine, framing it as “yet another threat to athletes.” They thrive on pushing the narrative that the world is collapsing around us, even in sports. But here’s a thought—maybe the riders are just caught in the ruthless mechanics of competitive sports, where injuries are part of the game, and instead of fear-mongering, the focus should be on safety regulations and proper medical protocols.

Yet, all we hear is a chorus of alarm bells from these outlets, as if every concussion is akin to a death knell for the sport. Where’s the discussion on the athletes’ resilience, the science behind training adaptations, or how the protocols have evolved over time? Instead, we get the same old scare tactics that offer nothing but panic—exactly what we’ve come to expect from these corporate media giants.

Cycling can be dangerous; that’s a fact. But let’s not twist it into a doomsday narrative. The elite cycling community can do better, and so can the media. Let’s focus on solutions rather than jumping on the fear bandwagon.