Racing cyclist killed - A63

[Pedrosanchezo]

Horrible news.

Both sides are valid imo.

TT'ing, or general riding, on DC's can be safer than SC and B roads. It all depends on the road in question. If anyone says that ALL DC's are unsafe then i will disagree. If anyone says ALL DC's are just as safe as any other roads then i will disagree. A few have mentioned that TT'ing or racing on back roads can be more dangerous as riders can cut corners or take junctions wide. Are we not meant to stop a junctions and ride as safe as we can? Does that not apply to racing? Does safety come second to a decent time?

You could argue that a rider would have to be completely aware of their surroundings on such roads and be 100% tuned in to what's is going on around them. You could then also argue that a rider who is trying to set a PB and is bursting a gut in an aero tuck may not have their full attention on traffic approaching from the rear. They are in essence entrusting their lives with every driver that passes. The point being that it is a choice for the individual to decide. Also, depending on your TT helmet, you may not be hearing as well as you could either. This goes for ALL roads.

The other point that we seem to miss is how it will affect the driver. If it was an accident with no blame then the driver has had a life changing experience that may greatly affect them. Who knows. This is not a "car driver", this is a person.

For now all we know is that it was an official, legal event. A cyclist died in a collision with a vehicle and it is a tragedy!

RIP

 

[Soltydog]

An update on this sad story, which people slating the car driving might not want to hear

A police spokesman said: "The collision involved the cyclist and a Landrover Freelander that was towing a white Sterling Eccles touring caravan. At the time of the collision it is believed the Landrover and caravan were stationary in lane one of the A63 and the cyclist rode into the rear of the caravan."

Maybe we can refrain from hammering motorists until all the facts are available in future? I know more often than not its the motorist at fault & they get minimal punishments, but it would appear not in this case.

 

[T.M.H.N.E.T]

Why would you be stationary in lane 1 of a dual carriageway?

 

[Rob3rt]

Horrible news.

Both sides are valid imo.

TT'ing, or general riding, on DC's can be safer than SC and B roads. It all depends on the road in question. If anyone says that ALL DC's are unsafe then i will disagree. If anyone says ALL DC's are just as safe as any other roads then i will disagree. A few have mentioned that TT'ing or racing on back roads can be more dangerous as riders can cut corners or take junctions wide. Are we not meant to stop a junctions and ride as safe as we can? Does that not apply to racing? Does safety come second to a decent time?

You could argue that a rider would have to be completely aware of their surroundings on such roads and be 100% tuned in to what's is going on around them. You could then also argue that a rider who is trying to set a PB and is bursting a gut in an aero tuck may not have their full attention on traffic approaching from the rear. They are in essence entrusting their lives with every driver that passes. The point being that it is a choice for the individual to decide. Also, depending on your TT helmet, you may not be hearing as well as you could either. This goes for ALL roads.

The other point that we seem to miss is how it will affect the driver. If it was an accident with no blame then the driver has had a life changing experience that may greatly affect them. Who knows. This is not a "car driver", this is a person.

For now all we know is that it was an official, legal event. A cyclist died in a collision with a vehicle and it is a tragedy!

RIP

CTT start sheets always include a safety warning that riders should adhere to the rules of the road, give way to traffic already on roundabouts etc etc, warns you to get off of your tribars at certain points (even warns of DQ and further repercussions if you are spotted doing otherwise).

Generally at junctions a marshal will keep an eye on traffic and signal you as you approach to indicate if it is clear for you to nail it through the bend, of course it is your duty to have a look and decide for yourself whether this is the case.

Why would you be stationary in lane 1 of a dual carriageway?

I heard rumblings of something to do with a tyre blowout, so maybe (speculation) the vehicle or caravan had a blowout and was forced to stop.

 

[HLaB]

Why would you be stationary in lane 1 of a dual carriageway?

Just speculating but they saw an event and stopped out of courtesy or were instructed to by a marshal.

 

[T.M.H.N.E.T]

Just speculating but they saw an event and stopped out of courtesy or were instructed to by a marshal.

I have a background in marshalling (not cycling) only once did I have PSNI permission to stop traffic. Unfortunately fatal for the motorcyclist in question. Until that point I had no legal right or ability to influence traffic flow along the road.

I heard rumblings of something to do with a tyre blowout, so maybe (speculation) the vehicle or caravan had a blowout and was forced to stop.

As did I. Speculation seems to be rife though, haven't heard of any witnesses or other suggestion that a blow-out was the cause/reason to stop. I'm not saying it isn't plausible of course.

 

[Mr Bunbury]

Horrible news.
A few have mentioned that TT'ing or racing on back roads can be more dangerous as riders can cut corners or take junctions wide. Are we not meant to stop a junctions and ride as safe as we can? Does that not apply to racing? Does safety come second to a decent time?

Of course we're meant to ride safely and of course the rules apply to everyone, testers included, absolutely. However, do you think that always happens? You even get people riding wide in sportives, and they're not even officially competitive! The point about DCs is that there's no possibility for it to happen.

A63 cyclist rode into the back of caravan, police say

The caravan presumably stopped because it had the blowout. The question is whether it stopped in good time but the cyclist was riding head down - which is illegal, but he won't be the first to die that way - or whether it had the blowout as it was passing him, stopped suddenly and he couldn't help going into the back of it. Who knows.

 

[HLaB]

I have a background in marshalling (not cycling) only once did I have PSNI permission to stop traffic. Unfortunately fatal for the motorcyclist in question. Until that point I had no legal right or ability to influence traffic flow along the road.

Yeah, Ive marshalled at few cycling events too and I've no right to actually stop traffic but on a few TT's I've ridden marshal's have actually stopped traffic (or intimated to and concientous cars have) I wouldn't rely on it though .

 

[400bhp]

There's been a few instances recently of cyclists dying on DC's and a couple of deaths/bad injuries whilst competing.

RIP to the cyclist.

In my mind, it's only a matter of time before pressure is put on competition events to be run on closed roads.

I guess it's a consequence of cycling's popularity.

 

[400bhp]

Of course we're meant to ride safely and of course the rules apply to everyone, testers included, absolutely. However, do you think that always happens? You even get people riding wide in sportives, and they're not even officially competitive! The point about DCs is that there's no possibility for it to happen.

A63 cyclist rode into the back of caravan, police say

The caravan presumably stopped because it had the blowout. The question is whether it stopped in good time but the cyclist was riding head down - which is illegal, but he won't be the first to die that way - or whether it had the blowout as it was passing him, stopped suddenly and he couldn't help going into the back of it. Who knows.

Guy near us went into the back of a car whilst TT'ing. His front brake didn't work or was non existent. Couple of bods here know the story better than me.

 

[PK99]

The bit that doesn't sit right with me is people's attitude to cycling / TT's on dual carriageways.

A dual carriageway by the very virtue of it's name tells me there's NO oncoming traffic AND a WHOLE LANE to move over into to overtake.

Couple that with the legally-required signage to run such an event, and there's ZERO reason IMO for a vehicle driver to not be aware of the presence of cyclists, and ABSOLUTELY ZERO reason to hit and kill one.

Just where the F**K are these people looking when they're driving!!!!!!!

Would you care to modify your comments? It would appear that in this case the cyclist was (literally) not looking where he was going.

As an aside, driving through Merton this morning, I followed a cyclist who was drafting a large van like lorry at 25mph (as shown on my Speedo) with his front wheel tucked under the tail of the van. An emergency stop by the van and he could easily have been decapitated. Sometime accidents are down to the cyclist.

 

[Boris Bajic]

Bitter, bitter news item. Condolences to family, friends and those who loved the rider.

These things are very rare and I expect them to remain so.

I am not a racer, although I've done the odd TT to keep my son company and have trained a lot with him on the road. I've spent a LOT of time waiting and shuffling my feet and fussing about silly things while a TT is going on. It is natural to worry and fret.

One thing that does sometimes spook me is what can happen occasionally to the bonce of a racer. A corner may be shaved; a sharp bend taken slightly too fast in the wet; the degree of risk on a descent misjudged... When the clock is ticking and the heart is beating and there is a competitor bearing down on you who started 60 seconds after you, it's easy to get a little of the red mist.

Even on 'competitive' training rides with my boy, I've noticed that I can just start to have slightly wobbly judgement if he's gaining on me.

I don't condemn racing on the highway. Quite the contrary; I actively support it and am delighted that one of my offspring does it.

But I do get a little frisson of angst sometimes when I'm waiting for him near the finish of a wet, evening, midweek TT on a fast or twisty road. One part of my brain says that racing on the highway is twelve different flavours of barmy. Motorists are prosecuted for it.

The boy's first race this year is in a few days. As above, condolences to all who loved the rider and sympathy to all who were involved in the accident.

 

[davester65]

Why would you be stationary in lane 1 of a dual carriageway?

I drove by the scene about an hour and a half after the accident, the accident investigation team were there doing their thing, and i can confirm the other posts about a flat tyre, the caravan did have a flat offside tyre.