“I see how dangerous it is to ride a bike in traffic almost every day,” says Tadej Pogacar, who has joined the UN’s drive for safer roads.

Even though they always amaze us with their brutal attacks and daring descents, pros still ride bikes all the time, even though it can be very dangerous for them. A new name has joined the UN’s “Make a Safety Statement” campaign: Tadej Pogacar, the world winner.

The Slovenian leader of UAE Team Emirates said in a statement, “As a professional cyclist, the open road is my workplace, and I live the reality of how dangerous it is to ride in traffic almost every day.” A lot of people around the world ride their bikes to work, school, or just for fun, so I know I’m not the only one. It’s important to keep people’s safety when they ride their bikes. I’m happy to back this effort because I think we can all work together to make the roads safer for everyone, cyclists and drivers alike.

One of the UCI’s main goals is to make sure that roads are safe, says UCI head David Lappartient. “We’re working hard to make competitions safer, but it’s also important to make the roads safer and friendlier for riders and people who ride bikes all over the world.” For this to happen, effort from a wide range of stakeholders is needed. The UN and JCDecaux started an effort, and we’re happy to be a part of it.

“With Tadej Pogacar, our current UCI road race world champion, we will carry messages that will improve road safety,” Lappartient says. “The #MakeASafetyStatement campaign will get official UCI support at the UCI Mobility and Bike City Forum in Abu Dhabi.” With this new plan, the event will once again be a major gathering spot for people working to promote riding for everyone.

This week, Remco Evenepoel, one of Pogacar’s top competitors, crashed his bike into a BPost van and was taken to the hospital with serious injuries. This shows how dangerous bikes can be, even when they are just being trained.