The issue of rider safety in the pro peloton is in the spotlight once again after Lotto-Soudal rider Stig Broeckx was struck from behind by a motorbike during today’s Belgian one-day race, Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne.
Video shows how the rider drifted out of the peloton towards the right of the road just as the moto approached, and despite the pilot trying to take evasive action, he was unable to avoid hitting the 25-year-old.
Oh no !!!! again a accident with a motor rider #KBK pic.twitter.com/F8X7oFjFaY
— Peter SagFan (@Peter_SagFan) February 28, 2016
The incident happened with around 35km remaining of the race, which was won by Trek-Segafredo’s Jasper Stuyven.
Lotto-Soudal subsequently confirmed on Twitter that he Broeckx had been taken to hospital to be checked over.
There were a number of incidents last season of riders crashing after being hit by race vehicles, including Peter Sagan being hit by a moto at the Vuelta, and Jesse Sargent being struck by a neutral service car at the Tour of Flanders.
The bike that hit Broeckx today appeared to be carrying a member of the race’s medical staff, with a red cross on the back of the passenger’s hi-viz vest.
23 thoughts on “Video: Peloton safety in spotlight again as moto takes out rider”
Unable to avoid hitting the
Unable to avoid hitting the cyclist? Perhaps if he tried the brakes rather than trying to squeeze through.
Also, all and sundry have been commenting about yhe risk of disc brakes, but no one has yet called for restriction on these motorbikes which seem to be causing real incidents rather than hypothetical ones.
Motorbikes have disc brakes!
Motorbikes have disc brakes!
pressurized wrote:
didn’t appear to be excessively effective on this occasion. I suppose it helps if you pull the lever.
The moto rider didn’t even
The moto rider didn’t even try to slow down…
It is supposed to be riders
It is supposed to be riders with theit race heads on! BRAKES would have stopped this mr Moto! Words fail me.
Think he had no choice but to
Think he had no choice but to do what he did – motorcyle brakes aren’t that good – particularly on a loaded tourer with a pillion. If he’d tried to take to the central reservation there might have been a bigger accident if he’d subsequently lost control and crashed into the peloton.
kil0ran wrote:
But disc brakes are infailable according to some on here!
Putting aside my daft comment
Putting aside my daft comment about disc brakes, I reckon motorcycles do three things for the peloton (order of importance). First, film it so the sponsors make money and the riders get paid and we get entertained. Second, perhaps controversially second, carry medical staff. Third, carry technical support.
Being both cyclist and motorcyclist, I know cycles and bikes don’t mix well at cycle speeds. I think they’re a necessary evil, though, and cyclist awareness and rider training should probably be enhanced.
Clueless. Awful anticipation
Clueless. Awful anticipation and race awareness. 20 odd miles out, nice bit of open, straight road – there’s likely to be plenty of movement around the edges of the peloton as riders start to make or join a break.
From a race perspective, it does look like the motorbike rider accellerated too early and was moving too quickly relative to the peloton to be able to react to anyone moving out. Move up even a few seconds later, he could have happily crossed the rumble strip into the hard shoulder where none of the riders would ever be. Doh.
No sign of a brake light
No sign of a brake light coming on at all, I would have thought the motorbike rider would have braked after hitting the cyclist at least, but it just looks like a hit and run as he carries on at speed… definately looks like there should be more training. The cyclist should also probably have checked over his shoulder knowing that motorbikes and support cars might be weaving through the peleton in the empty areas of road, though that doesn’t excuse the lack of braking by the motorbike rider.
Looks 50/50 to me – no
Looks 50/50 to me – no shoulder check (he was looking the other way I think) from one, and from the other, passing the peloton too quickly and failure to identify the hazard fast enough. The moto rider assumed that the other guy heard him coming and assumed he would take evasive action I think.
Oh, and shouldn’t the traditionalists be worrying about getting injured on the disc brakes on the motor? 😉
DaveE128 wrote:
I agree on the 50/50.
The moto could have slowed down earlier and waited a while, typical I’m too impatiant to wait and am going get past.
However cyclist need to be more aware of this looking one way and drifting the other. I’ve been nearly brought down on far too many an occasion during both sportives and more social rides by people looking for a friend or “team mate” drift out towards the central white line whilst slowing down. All the time totally oblivious to faster moving traffic.
Quote:
OK – I get the point about motorbikes being a handfull when carrying a passenger at slow speeds – but why not use a trike or a quad bike? No stability issues and still able to squeeze through when cars cannot.
jebus, we’ll be calling for
jebus, we’ll be calling for hand signals next from the peloton.
racer doing riacer type things shocker. the moto has a due of care far greater than that of the cyclist. its a professional race and not some poxey sportive.
As a motorcyclist and a
As a motorcyclist and a cyclist, my view is that this is the motorcyclists fault. He’s following a race so things might happen, the guy he hit was wandering away from the peloton so he should have been aware that something might happen, and then he squeezed through anyway.
If I rode like that I’d be ashamed of myself.
rule #1 for motorcyclists is “assume everyone is going to pull out, stop, veer, speed up or slow down and be ready to avoid it”
Astonishing. Here I thought
Astonishing. Here I thought those driving heavy, fast moving hunks of metal were always responsible for taking due care when overtaking more vulnerable users of the road.
“..despite the pilot trying
“..despite the pilot trying to take evasive action, he was unable to avoid hitting the 25-year-old.”
Watched the video a couple of times and still can’t see the plane that caused the accident.
So can you charge the
So can you charge the motorcyclist with hit and run for this behaviour?
Or is it not a public road durinhg race?
I believe the motorcyclist
I believe the motorcyclist was at fault but not entirely. Look at the clip at about 6 / 7 seconds the cyclist swerves violently to the right after drifting. Had he not swerved the motor cyclist might just have missed him, although the motorbike was cutting it a bit fine!
Good job the cyclist was wearing a helmet or he might have singed his hair on a hot disc brake!
As motorbike rider too that
As motorbike rider too that was a shocking piece of riding.
As a motorcyclist and
As a motorcyclist and cyclist the motorcyclist could have moved more to the right to give the cyclist more room, he could have slowed down or even stopped, BUT the cyclist did suddenly swerve and if you look carefully he clipped the back of the motorbike and the motorcyclist didn’t stop because he may not have felt the bump, especially with a pillion on the back.
I ride a motorcycle providing support at sportives and sometimes its very hard predicting what the cyclist will do. Yes I can sit there for ages and do sometimes.
Hmmmm… The moto was
Hmmmm… The moto was definitely at fault as he’s supposed to yield for racers. Maybe riders should wear geek mirrors…
Without question, the
Without question, the motorcyclists fault.
Plenty of comments saying about big and heavy and couldn’t mount the central reservation otherwise it could have been worse.
Firstly, I’m a qualified motorcycle instructor and secondly having ridden Goldwings that, fully loaded, have weighed more than half a ton (1300lbs) I will say categorically that they are a LOT more manouvreable than most people could possibly imagine.
This rider could have moved over more to the right because there was no kerb and he had, at a rough guess, at least 5ft more room to move than he bothered with.
Following a cycle race you should ALWAYS expect a break from the peloton. It wouldn’t be the sport we love without the breaks would it.
Plain and simple he should pass racing cyclists at no more than 5mph more than they’re doing, that way it leaves plenty of time and room.