Steve Abraham says he will decide in the coming days whether to carry on with his Year record attempt after breaking two bones in his ankle when he was hit by a moped rider yesterday.
A message posted on his Facebook page this afternoon reads: “Steve thanks everyone for their support so far.
"He was hit from behind by a suspected drunk moped rider and has a broken ankle.
"He has assessment appointments over the next few days.
"After these we shall be able to decide the best way forward with the One Year Time Trial.
"Expect to hear more from us by Friday.”
Abraham was described by his crew chief, Chris 'Hoppo' Hopkinson, as being "in fine spirits" despite the setback.
The incident happened yesterday morning on the A38 near Wellington, Somerset, with the extent of his injuries announced in the evening on his Twitter feed. His leg had been put in plaster, and it was thought likely he would need surgery to have a plate and screws inserted to help repair the breaks.
The Milton Keynes-based rider is aiming to beat Tommy Godwin’s “unbreakable” annual mileage record of 75,065 miles, set in 1939, and on Friday was more than 2,600 miles ahead of Godwin's pace.
The American rider Kurt Searvogel, who is also attempting to break the record, posted a message to Abraham on Facebook, saying: "Sending good thoughts and well wishes for a speedy recovery."
20 thoughts on “Steve Abraham to decide on Year record attempt in coming days after yesterday’s crash”
Cast with a build in cleat
Cast with a build in cleat should do the trick!
just out of curiosity, and
just out of curiosity, and given the debate on other threads, does he normally ride without a helmet (as per the photo accompanying the article)?
rjfrussell wrote:just out of
Yes, plenty of helmet debate, why start another?
Look at his Facebook page, Twitter and his website, photos of him on this record attempt wearing a helmet.
rjfrussell wrote:just out of
Broken ankle!
You’re so right! A helmet
You’re so right! A helmet would definitely have prevented a broken ankle.
Go Steve
Go Steve
Get well soon Steve. Hope
Get well soon Steve. Hope the moped rider came off worse. Drunk – what a twat.
This sucks because this kind
This sucks because this kind of record is usually a one-time attempt. Get well, Steve!
Here’s to a speedy recovery
Here’s to a speedy recovery
Absolutely gutted for Steve.
Absolutely gutted for Steve. Have followed his rides on Strava with great interest since day 1. Aside from the undoubted vitriol coming the way of the moped rider, I hope that we use this thread to encourage Steve to make the speediest recovery. I know that Moto GP riders make miraculous recoveries, but they are not in the saddle pushing the crank for 15hrs a day.
Whatever decision is made, godspeed and keep your chin up!
Just out of curiosity, if the
Just out of curiosity, if the challenge is to do as many miles as possible in a 12month period, could Steve restart the challenge once his ankle has healed?
dazwan wrote:Just out of
Yeah, they don’t have to start on 1st day of the year. That American chap started his attempt 10 days after the UK guy.
dazwan wrote:Just out of
Yeah, they don’t have to start on 1st day of the year. That American chap started his attempt 10 days after the UK guy.
do you mean restart or
do you mean restart or continue?
he could do either, possibly both, but obviously restarting would mean a new 365 day period.
I would say he won’t be riding for a good period, in the region of 4-6 weeks.
He’s got a 10 day buffer on Tommy after 3 months, so in theory, and with lots of luck and no setbacks he could potentially claw it back again.
I doubt TAC would stop to
I doubt TAC would stop to allow Steve to catch up, he already had a lead even though he started later. Steve’s only chance of getting the record is finishing on time and beating Tommy’s distance, which means carrying on. Unless Kurt abandons his recumbent mileage as a sporting gesture.
At least being crashed into is in the spirit of Tommy Godwin’s ride, painful though it may be.
Interesting that the moped driver is now described as drunk.
I see a great marketing
I see a great marketing opportunity for a private healthcare provided to sponsor the best possible treatment to get him fit to ride ASAP – would be a good avert for the benefits of their services.
I’ve broken both my ankles at
I’ve broken both my ankles at seperate times. Each one was 6 weeks with cast on. Then physio for a coupla weeks before it would even move, let alone cycle. And certainly not 200 miles a day! Albeit NHS finest…
If he starts again in say, 6 weeks, can he choose that as either a ‘restart’ or a ‘continue’ as he gets closer to 31 Dec, I wonder?
Surely if Kurt is counting
Surely if Kurt is counting recumbent miles, and that is within the rules, then Steve could do the same, and be back sooner based on the lower weight-bearing?
As for helmets. If you would all just put them on and stop being such bitches about it then we wouldn’t have to keep bringing it up! And we could then move the conversation onto other ideas that you would rather talk about. In the meantime, take all your seatbelts off and drive around for a while, see how safe you feel and then remember everyone did that in 1980!
kevinmorice wrote:As for
Wow, “you made me do it”. The lamest excuse for being an ass ever.
PS. The safety advantage of a helmet is not anywhere near the safety provided by a seat belt, which is why the latter is mandated and the first is not. So your silly comparison just underlines your ignorance.
Tragic situation but sadly
Tragic situation but sadly not unexpected, although we all hoped it would not happen, especially as he had coped so well with the winter and better days lay ahead. Surveys I carried out of in 1974 of Greater Manchester CTC members found that skill and experience offered no protection against being hit by a motor vehicle and that the more miles one did the more likely one was to be hit. I suspect the situation has not changed since then.
Best wishes to Steve and hope he has a swift and full recovery. He is a committed and resilient cyclist and we have not seen the last of him. Bon chance Steve.
PS To my knowledge Steve has been wearing a helmet on the ride. The picture at the top showing him not wearing one was, I think, taken in the Mersey Roads 24 Hour Time Trial, where motorists are warned of the presence of cyclists by marshals and signs. I know from experience wearing a helmet, however light, gets to be painful towards the end of a 24.