A bike race in China finished in chaos last week as two groups of riders found themselves heading towards the finish line from opposite directions, causing a huge head-on crash which led to 17 of them being taken to hospital.
The crash happened at the end of the fourth stage of the Colorful Yunnan Gryffindor International Cycling Race, now in its second year.
This Chinese video news report on the incident shows the crash and its aftermath from a number of angles. What seems to have happened is that the leading group, possibly through an error by marshals or the driver of the lead vehicle, deviated from the race route shortly before the finish line, reports China.org.cn.
They then came round a bend to approach the finish arch from the wrong direction – just as the second group was sprinting for the line, and with disastrous consequences.
Organisers have come under criticism on social media but have denied being at fault, adding that they will “co-operate with relevant bodies and tried their best in follow-up work.”
More super dramatic cycling videos
Brazilian rider drafts lorry at 124Kmh
Mark Cavendish falls in massive puddle
(okay, maybe that last one is more comedy than drama).
10 thoughts on “Video: Huge crash at race in China as two groups of sprinters meet head-on”
jeepers
jeepers
Love the name of the race
Love the name of the race though
Popualrity of the link seems
Popularity of the link seems to have brought the server down! Anyone got another location?
EDIT: Blocked as malicious by corporate firewall, careful out there people!
Here’s a youtube link:
Here’s a youtube link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jNWC31qplcE
Ow, that looks nasty. Someone
Ow, that looks nasty. Someone clearly screwed up. I hope the injured riders recover ok.
Spend time in Vancouver B.C.
Spend time in Vancouver B.C. and you will find out that chinese drive cars like that all the time.
SO who Won?! love to see that
SO who Won?! love to see that photo finish
So they are going to design
So they are going to design our new nuclear power stations?
it’s ok, I’m sure one of them
it’s ok, I’m sure one of them had the right of way
This diagram explains it
This diagram explains it better. The first group went into the right hand lane from the final left hand corner into the finishing straight, then came to a standstill at the line on the incorrect side of the road (1). The second group were 30s to 1 minute further back.
The first group decided the race was still ‘on’ until they had crossed the line on the correct side of the road, so continued to the end of the road and U-turned back into the oncoming riders, with them meeting at the real finish line (2)
http://cycle.coach/Crash-Yunnan-Diagram.jpg