Fatalities typically prompt people involved in the sport to reconsider the dangers inherent to being perched on a fragile machine, at downhill speeds of up to 70 miles per hour, with no protective gear aside from a helmet. You have to look at the evolution of the cycles, which were made for speed to the detriment of security. When you have that many people going this close together, and this fast, it's almost inevitable. I'm not sure they have. Crashes occur in nearly every multi-stage event.
Most riders crash numerous times throughout their careers.
According to Testa, cyclists don't crash as often as one might expect, considering the speeds they reach and the often crowded conditions in which they compete. He also said head injuries are infrequent. When you consider the number of crashes, head injuries are at a minimum. Professionals ride about 25,000 miles per year. That includes practice and racing.