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Updated: Cyclist seriously injured after hitting tree during RideLondon sportive Prudential RideLondon-Surrey 100 - riders passing a mill

Updated: Cyclist seriously injured after hitting tree during RideLondon sportive

Riders delayed for up to an hour following "nasty crash" in Surrey...
by Simon_MacMichael
Sun, Jul 31, 2016 11:06
32

UPDATED Sunday 1430: The route of today's Prudential RideLondon-Surrey 100 sportive has been changed after three air ambulances were called in response to a crash. It was subsequently reported that a cyclist taking part in the event had hit a tree.

According to a spokeswoman for the South East Coast ambulance service, quoted on Guardian.co.uk, the male rider crashed into a tree.

“It is not known whether he hit the tree on his bike or whether he came off his bike prior to hitting the tree," said the spokeswoman.

"He was airlifted to St George’s Hospital [in Tooting, South West London] and is in a serious condition."

Katie Meadway, who witnessed the incident, said on Twitter that there were “three air ambulances and countless ambulances” in attendance.

She wrote: “Just been told by stewards that those involved in accident are OK but it is considered serious.”

The Guardian reports that a subsequent incident also required a participant to be taken to hospital by air ambulance, although as yet there are no details of what happened or where on the course it took place.

Many of the 27,000 cyclists taking part in the fourth edition of the event had been waiting for up to an hour behind the scene of the incident, which took place around 40 miles in, with Twitter user Peter Brown describing it as a "nasty crash."

Shortly before 10.30am this morning, organisers confirmed on Twitter that the route would be amended as a result of the incident.

 

 

 

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RideLondon 2016
Simon MacMichael

Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.

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32 comments

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Leviathan | 7 years ago
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I was there and saw some of the injured rider, sorry this might be a little graphic.

I didn't see the incident with the tree, that must have happened after I passed. I was off at 6:39 and making good pace with some faster groups, so there was no clog of riders even at Leith Hill. Just at the bottom of the descent from Leith Hill around Abinger and about 10:00 there were three riders on the ground. About 100 riders were squeezing past as there was nowhere else to go. Many more people were still descending very fast off Leith Hill through the gorge. This was just as the road opens out, but is still steep. In 2013 I went down there at 73kph max, still the fastest I've ever gone, and a touch of wheels at those speeds wouldn't be nice.

There was a young woman sitting on the road with a guy sitting behind her supporting her, she was a little bloodied and holding an arm, further on was another man sitting in hedge, and in between was a man in his 40s lying flat on his back in the middle of the road. He was conscious but his entire face was covered in blood. There was a thick flow of blood running away from him for over a meter down the road, and it looked purple. I might have gotten there within 2/3 mins of the incident. Marshalls and some locals were already there helping.

Even if they closed the road up to Leith Hill immediately, there could be a few thousand people going over it who had no choice but to pass this incident lest they cause another crash behind. 

I am sorry for those that didn't get to do the full course or were delayed, I did 2014 in the (arse) end of a hurricane and missed these climbs but for good reason. The volunteers do a great job, I hope they get a massive goody bag or guaranteed entry next year. 

There was one other short delay in Kingston on the way back in. This was due to sheer numbers of riders and too narrow barriers on the high street. They need to review how the 100 and 46 mile riders merge. There were a lot of slower 46 mile riders spread across the road with aero bike guys barrelling down the road to the extreme right of them. Clipping a curb/kerb wouldn't be nice either.

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usedtobefaster replied to Leviathan | 7 years ago
3 likes
Leviathan wrote:

I was there and saw some of the injured rider, sorry this might be a little graphic.

I didn't see the incident with the tree, that must have happened after I passed. I was off at 6:39 and making good pace with some faster groups, so there was no clog of riders even at Leith Hill. Just at the bottom of the descent from Leith Hill around Abinger and about 10:00 there were three riders on the ground. About 100 riders were squeezing past as there was nowhere else to go. Many more people were still descending very fast off Leith Hill through the gorge. This was just as the road opens out, but is still steep. In 2013 I went down there at 73kph max, still the fastest I've ever gone, and a touch of wheels at those speeds wouldn't be nice.

 

The incident the article refers to  was way before Leith Hill and some 6 miles or so before Newlands Corner.  We were stopped for about 50 minutes, but the timing for us meant the diversion was put in after we'd passed it.

At the end of the day all most of us lost was time the guy in the accident could have lost a lot more.

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