Australian Cycling Forums - Bicycles Network Australia

Spectator decides to ride a pros bike downhill with bad consequences

The commentators misheard that the spectator had stolen it, I understood that the spectator was bringing the bike down, probably thought they were doing a good deed.

Pretty silly idea - hope the fellow is ok. His claim to fame is stopping the telecast for 30 minutes and interrupting Steve Peats run.

Yes not the best of ideas NO Helmet and that speed, from what I was told also he offered to ride it down for the injured rider and looked a bit drunk.

What a freakin idiot!... in hospital with spinal damage allegedly, broken neck possibly.
Seriously hope for everyone, especially of course the dude who's injured, that it is not too serious.
Various versions of this will be watched around the world more than half the racing!.
One thing it does show is the steepness of the course!.

On thursday and friday, the course was not only steep and tricky, it was wet, very wet and slipery. The exo area was a mud pit on Saturday morning with everybody trying very hard not to slip over. Parts of the track that I saw were dried out and looking good.

Apparently the guy is ok, he is a bike mechanic and has broken 2 vertebrae and dislocated his shoulder and all is fixable. I hope he heals up quick it looked bad from the stack.