The cycle race ended with broken bones for 3 sportsmen - and Gauteng's potholes are the reason
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A pothole was the reason why three riders from the MTN-Energade men's road cycling team Thursday ended up in hospital with broken bones, according to a teammate.
To top it all, Jaco Venter, Dylan Girdlestone and Bradley Potgieter are now doubtful to race in any of the last three big classics of the season: the Amashova, OFM and 94.7.
Venter broke his arm in three places, Girdlestone broke his shoulder bone and, as luck would have it, Potgieter injured the same ankle that was fractured in a car accident early this year.
Reinhardt Janse van Rensburg, who was also training with his teammates on the road just past the Hartbeeshoek Satellite Station west of Pretoria, said they were busy with a team motor-pacing session when the accident happened.
"Jaco and I were riding next to one another, while Bradley and Dylan were just in front of us. We were doing about 80km/ph when Jaco hit the pothole."
According to Janse van Rensburg, the moment the accident happened Venter's bicycle shot up in the air, he totally lost control and crashed down at high speed.
When Ian Wilson, the driver of the Kombi that was used by the riders for their motor-pacing, saw in his rearview mirror that Venter had crashed, he immediately braked.
"Unfortunately, Dylan and Bradley were looking backwards to see what had happened to Jaco and whether he was OK. They did not realise that the Kombi was slowing down and consequently they crashed into it at full speed.
"Dylan's shoulder really looked bad. Just glancing at it I could see that the bone had broken right through."
This accident means MTN-Energade will be racing with only half a team in the Dome2Dome race in Johannesburg on Sunday.
Pothole puts cyclists in hospital
The cycle race ended with broken bones for 3 sportsmen - and Gauteng's potholes are the reason
Read more...
A pothole was the reason why three riders from the MTN-Energade men's road cycling team Thursday ended up in hospital with broken bones, according to a teammate.
To top it all, Jaco Venter, Dylan Girdlestone and Bradley Potgieter are now doubtful to race in any of the last three big classics of the season: the Amashova, OFM and 94.7.
Venter broke his arm in three places, Girdlestone broke his shoulder bone and, as luck would have it, Potgieter injured the same ankle that was fractured in a car accident early this year.
Reinhardt Janse van Rensburg, who was also training with his teammates on the road just past the Hartbeeshoek Satellite Station west of Pretoria, said they were busy with a team motor-pacing session when the accident happened.
"Jaco and I were riding next to one another, while Bradley and Dylan were just in front of us. We were doing about 80km/ph when Jaco hit the pothole."
According to Janse van Rensburg, the moment the accident happened Venter's bicycle shot up in the air, he totally lost control and crashed down at high speed.
When Ian Wilson, the driver of the Kombi that was used by the riders for their motor-pacing, saw in his rearview mirror that Venter had crashed, he immediately braked.
"Unfortunately, Dylan and Bradley were looking backwards to see what had happened to Jaco and whether he was OK. They did not realise that the Kombi was slowing down and consequently they crashed into it at full speed.
"Dylan's shoulder really looked bad. Just glancing at it I could see that the bone had broken right through."
This accident means MTN-Energade will be racing with only half a team in the Dome2Dome race in Johannesburg on Sunday.
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