The riders came into a left-hand bend all at once. Police say that was the trigger: too many cyclists arrived at the same moment, and the first mass crash followed on a country road between Bad Dürrheim and the small village of Biesingen. It happened at around 11:30 a.m. on Sunday, during the Riderman race east of the Black Forest in Baden-Württemberg.
“A large number of the cyclists crashed into each other on the road,” according to a police report. A jam built up behind the pile-up, and a second mass crash followed there, with numerous more riders going down.
The injured
Some 70 participants were hurt, a police spokesman said, although a final count could not be given at first. Initial reports put 15 to 20 of the injured in serious condition. Another 20 to 25 with minor injuries were taken to hospital, and around 35 more people with slight injuries stayed at the scene. Police in Konstanz said patients were spread to hospitals “across a wide area.”
Four rescue helicopters and a large number of ambulances were sent in.
Police ruled out any external influence on the race. Organizers stopped the races under way and cancelled all remaining events.
Riderman is among the best-known amateur cycling races in southern Germany. It attracts hundreds of participants every year. Police said this year’s race belonged to a multi-day event that includes amateur and public races and Bundesliga competitions, and organizers had expected a total of 1,200 participants.
Sources
- Up to 70 hurt after mass crash at Germany's Riderman cycle race
- Dozens injured in mass crashes at RiderMan cycling race in Germany
