Mountbatten crash today

[anonymous-user]

Horrible day. Big crash in the sprint to the line in the 4ths saw three riders down. Two, including one from my club were the more serious. He ended up with 25 stitches above his eye and is having a scan on possible ligament damage tomorrow am. The other chap wasn't so lucky. Not going into details here but was hoping that anyone with connections to him might let me know how he is doing. He was airlifted to Southampton in a serious but stable condition. A young Kingston Wheeler and a.n.other tended to the guy trackside, massive respect to them, it was ugly.

Ride safe out there.

[greeny12]

I was waiting to race in the 3rds and saw it unfold. Absolutely awful. I didn't want to get too close but as far as I could see it was one (maybe two?) away in an ambulance and one in the air ambulance. Not sure who was most hurt but I'd raced the previous two weekends against the guy from Horsham Cycling (during which time I gained my 3rd licence) and when I saw his number being carried off the track I lost all stomach for it and just handed my own in then left without racing.

Not saying that the crash was anyone's fault, but everyone who joins the ranks of the 4th Cats needs to realise that it really, really hurts when you crash, and that safety should be paramount in your thoughts at all times, especially at the finish. Sermon over.

[anonymous-user]

greeny12 said:

I was waiting to race in the 3rds and saw it unfold. Absolutely awful. I didn't want to get too close but as far as I could see it was one (maybe two?) away in an ambulance and one in the air ambulance. Not sure who was most hurt but I'd raced the previous two weekends against the guy from Horsham Cycling (during which time I gained my 3rd licence) and when I saw his number being carried off the track I lost all stomach for it and just handed my own in then left without racing.

Not saying that the crash was anyone's fault, but everyone who joins the ranks of the 4th Cats needs to realise that it really, really hurts when you crash, and that safety should be paramount in your thoughts at all times, especially at the finish. Sermon over.

I have to agree. Like yourself I was waiting to go out and even if I hadn't gone to hospital with our guy after seeing the injuries probably wouldn't have bothered. When we dropped the track med kit back we were told that 10 competed in the 3rds and 20 or so in the E123. The chain fence is a bit of an issue but our guys said the riding was poor, and I heard brakes on and off at several stages, on a flat banked track there's simply no need. There's no way to educate people apart from experience but sometimes its at an unreasonable risk to everyone. The two that were in ambulances were a HWCC rider who is still in hospital awaiting a scan and although battered is generally ok and the other guy who was the serious one airlifted to Southampton.

[okgo]

Not good.

If I do any winter series at Hillingdon I'm glad I'll be with the elites as the riding is so much better than the 3rds and 4ths. There was a silly number of crashes last year there.

[anonymous-user]

okgo said:

Not good.

If I do any winter series at Hillingdon I'm glad I'll be with the elites as the riding is so much better than the 3rds and 4ths. There was a silly number of crashes last year there.

To be honest I am going with the E123 for the same reason.

Just spoken to the organizers about our rider and was told it was a Horsham guy and he remains in critical condition at Southampton.

Edited by anonymous-user on Monday 15th October 11:08

[greeny12]

yonex said:

Just spoken to the organizers about our rider and was told it was a Horsham guy and he remains in critical condition at Southampton.

Edited by yonex on Monday 15th October 11:08

Oh no, that's terribly upsetting news. After two weeks of racing alongside that guy I was really rooting for him at Mountbatten. I feel sick to my stomach.

[sparkyb999]

Ouch, this sounds horrible.. I am looking at getting into racing next year, never done road racing before, only MTB.

Do accidents like this happen a lot?.. is it mainly at the finish line when people are sprinting for places?.. It scares the hell out of me, I crased out on the road last year and god did that hurt and was only going 10 mph.

I suppose lots of things can be the factor, I have lots of experience riding in groups of around 10-15 riders, but never in a race situation.

Not sure i wanna now..lol

I really hope the guys are ok, and recover from it, sounds horrific.

[greeny12]

sparkyb999 said:

Ouch, this sounds horrible.. I am looking at getting into racing next year, never done road racing before, only MTB.

Do accidents like this happen a lot?.. is it mainly at the finish line when people are sprinting for places?..

The simple answer is yes, crashes do happen a lot in 4th Cat racing. I've done 30-odd 4ths-only races and I'd say about half of them had one or more crashes. None anything like as serious as this one, although several did involve ambulances.

In fact I quit racing at one point due to the danger, but found I couldn't stay away. Now I'm a 3rd Cat so will be mostly racing on the open roads, which are generally safer because the existence of tractors, 4x4s and other obstacles that keep people on their toes.

I don't know where you live, but if it's the south east the circuits I would avoid when you start out are Hillingdon and Mountbatten - both are shockers due to the organisers letting far too many nervous riders race on courses that are simply not selective enough to thin the bunch down by the finish.

By contrast, Cyclopark in Kent and Hog Hill in Essex (and Crystal Palace, although I've not raced there) both have repetitive hills that weed out riders, ultimately making for safer (but not completely safe) racing. Dunsfold aerodrome (home of Top Gear) is pan-flat but four lanes wide, so if you're nervous you can sacrifice finishing speed for blissful isolation up the home straight, as I've done many a time!

Hope this helps...

Edited by greeny12 on Monday 15th October 18:12

[BadgerBenji]

I raced for many years, but only ever on the open road, saw some crashes, but was fortunate not to be involved in any. Some are silly things like riders missing cages with bottles, the odd clip of wheel, and sometimes it can be down to people not thinking about the guys behind them, or the guy behind not concentrating. Had a close call once with a series of parked cars, knew they were there, last lap, not close enough to the front to do anything about the result, so was dropping out the bunch to avoid being in the middle when it got to that part, some were over keen, and sure enough bang it went down, reading a bunch and the characters in the bunch only comes with time. Raced a bit on the velodromes as well, which again was bunches, and generally tighter packed but never brought down, and don't remember one ever going down, after riding those road seemed a lot more spacious.

[sparkyb999]

Thanks for the info,. may ease myself into, I live in Bucks, so hillingdon is on my doorstep. Have been looking at youtube footage of race there.

I suppose there is plenty of races to enter, have you ever done the MK Bowl?

[BMWBen]

This doesn't sound good. Hope everyone recovers ok. Makes me nervous about joining the 4ths at Hillingdon this kind of talk... How can you crash at mountbatten? Not been there but looks like a round banked circuit :S

[Rocksteadyeddie]

sparkyb999 said:

Thanks for the info,. may ease myself into, I live in Bucks, so hillingdon is on my doorstep. Have been looking at youtube footage of race there.

I suppose there is plenty of races to enter, have you ever done the MK Bowl?

MK is much better than HIllingdon. The finish is up the hill so its not so fast or as bunched up in the finish.

[PCOMAC]

Hi Guys, I am good friend of the guy seriously injured in the crash, i took his wife and kids down to the hospital as soon as she heard. basically they had him in an induced coma most of last week due to major head injury, (i wont go into details on a forum), last thursday they stopped the sedative, but he is still in a coma & had to have emergency surgery last night. At the moment we do not know the how he will be when he eventually wakes up...

None of his friends or family where at the track with him when this happened & we have had very differing stories of what happened, although it will not make any difference now if you or anyone you know actually saw this race or videoed it on a phone we would love to hear from you so a clearer understanding of reason for crash can be made. Its not to blame anyone as accidents do happen. Message me in the first instance & i will put you in touch with his brother.

My thoughts are with his Wife & Brother who have constantly been at his side...

Thanks for reading & caring.

[Rocksteadyeddie]

st.

Please pass on our best wishes for a speedy recovery.

[anonymous-user]

Not good news. We're all pulling for him to make a recovery, best wishes to the family in this difficult time.

[PCOMAC]

Guys - thanks for your good wishes i will pass this onto the family.

This was obviously a freak accident, but take care when competing...

[Potatoes]

Thanks PCOMAC.

Wishing him all the best, horrible sounding accident.

[AyBee]

Rocksteadyeddie said:

st.

Please pass on our best wishes for a speedy recovery.

This!

[Grum87]

Just stumbled across this post. Please send my best wishes to his Family and I hope he makes a good recovery. I was in that race on Sunday and was just behind the accident when it happened. I do have a vague memory of what happened if this helps?

[okgo]

Grum87 said:

Just stumbled across this post. Please send my best wishes to his Family and I hope he makes a good recovery. I was in that race on Sunday and was just behind the accident when it happened. I do have a vague memory of what happened if this helps?

Yes, that will help, they have been requesting anyone with info to come forward, perhaps Yonex can forward you the email?