Let's show some humanity!

We all know the risks when we take to the road and occasionally things do go wrong, especially when we're pushing ourselves to the limit. As some of you will know, Dave Richards suffered a front tyre blowout at speed whilst competing in the club TT on Thursday evening.

You're always on your own in an individual TT, but if you crash out you'd like to think that some fellow club member or competitor might stop to check that you're actually ok. Unfortunately it seems not.

This wasn't the final stage in some major professional road race, it was just a normal Thursday evening, one night of many where members and non-members pit themselves against the abbo TT course. Now I'm rubbish at time trials so maybe it's different when you're constantly pushing your PB but does it really mean so much more that you get a good time on that night than you check on the welfare of a fellow cyclist/club member/human being?

Dave ended up in the acute trauma unit at Hinchenbrooke hospital and after an operation on his arm is now out and recovering. He owes a lot to a passing farmer who picked him up and took him home, but next time you whizz past someone in trouble have a think - it could so easily be you.

Well said roger hope dave makes a full recovery
Steve

Great to hear that Dave is recovering after a bad accident.

I totally agree with your sentiment but feel some clarification is needed here as it appears to paint the other Abbo TT riders in a poor light which is unfair.

I would very much doubt any of the riders would have passed without checking he was ok or at the very least had some assistance IF they had seen it or noticed a rider on the ground. Personally I did not even see anything and it was only until he arrived in a car I was made aware after the event. I spoke to another rider about the incident who explained that he slowed to check but continued after it was apparent he was on his feet and getting some assistance. Due to the rain the Visibility was extremely poor that evening which would not have helped things.

If there were riders who passed that had noticed and did not check then fair enough that is appalling behavior and needs to be called out.

My post is in no way designed to be argumentative I am simply giving another perspective as a rider that was there.

Speedy recovery Dave!

I have just spoke to dave in length on the phone. He said there was a few riders that in his words 'wizzed passed' and even the farmer made a comment about them carrying on.

I think there are some in the club who would've stopped but it was clear this night that others cared more about a time than a fellow cyclists health.

It makes me sad to think that people would ride passed a fellow club member/friend/cyclist who was clearly in need.

I hope sncc acknowledge this incident.

Many thanks for the comments guys, I'm very happy for any perspective on what happened on Thursday evening. Unfortunately I couldn't make that event, so any clarification on the circumstances is welcome. I visited Dave this morning and having heard his story just felt I had to say something.

I wasn't able to make it on Thursday but was told Dave had had an off the next day and swapped a few e-mails with him to see how he (and obviously his bike!) were doing; and was relieved to hear he was in good spirits and hopefully on the road to a full recovery.

Just to pick up on a few comments above, I doubt very much anyone saw Dave was in trouble but prioritised a fast time ahead of stopping to see how he was. Over the years I've crashed / DNFd a few times and have always been asked by following riders if I was OK, including riders I know were there on Thursday.

As (di2) Dave said, and let alone rain & 'race focus', it might come as a surprise to people who might not have experienced it themselves what riding in an enclosed TT-pointy hat & visor does to your peripheral vision & hearing. Without knowing where on the course it happened it could also be that people were riding at 35+mph where wind noise and 'feedback' from the tarmac would also greatly impact a rider's ability to perceive anyone might have a problem.

I'm not sure what acknowledgement from the club is expected but we will be looking at the details of the incident once we get them back from Dave and reviewing what (if anything) we might be able to do going forwards​. As I've said, until we have a better idea of what happened I'm not sure there's too much more I can say beyond wishing Dave a speedy & full recovery

I hope that helps

Simon

the fact is that NOT 1 rider stopped to check how he was. that is very disturbing. G

Geoff - until we get some more details of what happened I'm not sure theres too much more we can (should?) be saying.

However, and in the interests of balance, below is the text of an e-mail the club received over the weekend - hopefully restoring everyone's faith in the humanity of SNCC!

please could I thank the members that we met while we were out riding our horses today. Our paths crossed in Hinxworth at 9.30 this morning (Sunday 21st May). It was a good-sized group of probably a dozen or so cyclists and even though they were coming towards us, all slowed down as they passed, all responded as we spoke and the whole encounter was very positive for our horses. I'm sure you are aware that there can be problems when cyclists and horses meet - especially if the cyclists come up behind us, but lovely behaviour displayed by your members helps us enormously. We are both vulnerable groups of road users and our co-operation is vital.
Thanks again to the group, exactly the way to do it !

Hmm... whilst the humanity of the group of SNCC members approaching the horse riders is good to hear, they weren't in a competitive situation with a time to beat. Never having ridden in a pointy hat I can accept that peripheral vision is compromised, but if competitors can ride past an incident like this without noticing it, it raises a whole new set of issues. Probably best saved for another discussion, but I believe there's a notice at the start to do with 'head down' riding....

That said, it is clear from the above that at least one rider did notice the incident, so I'd be surprised if they were alone. My last thoughts on this and then I'll shut up:

I believe the farmer was the first on the scene (Dave can confirm), but just because a member of the public is assisting doesn't mean everyone else shouldn't/doesn't have to. Without stopping, how do you know what assistance is required? Without stopping, how do you know that the farmer had time and inclination to carry on assisting? Also, are we just going to let joe public pick up the pieces of one of our own? I'm sure Dave would have appreciated seeing a familiar face, and what sort of image does it portray for the club if everyone just rides past? Clearly the farmer wasn't impressed.

I'm not having a go at anyone here, I'm just concerned for a friend who was in trouble.