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FDJ pro’s safety plea after driver knocks him off bike in Italy

Davide Cimolai escaped with bumps and bruises – but his bike was destroyed

 

FDJ rider Davide Cimolai has appealed to drivers to “respect the rules of the road” that he was knocked off his bike by a motorist while training near his home in Pordenone, north east Italy.

The incident comes after a number of high-profile deaths of bike riders in road traffic collisions in Italy, including those of pro cyclist Michele Scarponi in April and former MotoGP world champion Nicky Hayden this month.

> MotoGP ace Nicky Hayden dies five days after cycling crash

Cimolai, aged 27, thankfully suffered nothing worse than bumps and bruises in his incident, reports La Gazzetta dello Sport.

He said: "I’d just left home. A car had the left indicator on to park. I passed it on the right and the driver suddenly turned in the opposite direction to the arrow.

“It hit me, I found myself on the ground and then I wasn’t aware of anything. I have some bumps and bruises all over my body, but luckily nothing’s broken.

“I didn’t have to go to hospital. It could have been worse, even if my bike was completely destroyed.”

Referring to those recent deaths, he said: “It’s a terrible period.

“This time, it was due to inattention. In the car was a couple who got out, terrified – they knew they’d made a mistake.”

On Sunday evening, he posted a video appeal on Twitter for drivers to “respect the rules of the road,” adding, “today I was really lucky!”

Cimolai insisted however that his injuries would not change his racing programme.

“I won’t miss training days,” he told La Gazzetta dello Sport. Tomorrow morning, I will wake up full of aches and pains but I will be able to pedal.

Luckily I can take part in the Dauphiné , which starts next Sunday.

“Then I will be at the Tour de France working for [Arnaud] Demare.”

Between those two races, he also plans to challenge for the Italian national road championship, which he believes this year has a course that suits him.

Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.

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3 comments

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1961BikiE | 6 years ago
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Michelle Scarponi, Nicky Heusen now this fella, though luckily for him a far better outcome. High profile incidents in Italy. Makes you wonder. And to be honest a couple of things I saw in the Giro reinforced the Italalian somewhat shambolic approach to life.

Avatar
WillRod replied to 1961BikiE | 6 years ago
1 like

1961BikiE wrote:

Michelle Scarponi, Nicky Heusen now this fella, though luckily for him a far better outcome. High profile incidents in Italy. Makes you wonder. And to be honest a couple of things I saw in the Giro reinforced the Italalian somewhat shambolic approach to life.

 

It seems like too many incidents in such a short period of time.

Drivers seem to be getting worse, or perhaps I'm driving a lot more?

Avatar
OldRidgeback replied to WillRod | 6 years ago
1 like

WillRod wrote:

1961BikiE wrote:

Michelle Scarponi, Nicky Heusen now this fella, though luckily for him a far better outcome. High profile incidents in Italy. Makes you wonder. And to be honest a couple of things I saw in the Giro reinforced the Italalian somewhat shambolic approach to life.

 

It seems like too many incidents in such a short period of time.

Drivers seem to be getting worse, or perhaps I'm driving a lot more?

 

Road casualty rates have been improving over the last few decades in Europe. The peak for road fatalities was in the 1970s. That said, there has been a notable halt to the safety gains over time in the last 2-3 years. This is thought to be mainly due to the increase in driver distraction from cellphone use.

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