Rider killed in Severn Bridge RR

[montage]

First RR for many this season. Not much info on this just yet- tragic news and may have potential implications on the open road RR scene.

The rider was from team Herbalife I believe, thoughts with friends and family, as well as other riders involved in the incident/race.

 

[gary r]

Shocking news,my thoughts are with the riders family and family.just heard about the tragic incident on face book

 

[addictfreak]

Terrible news, there's a little more news here:

http://www.bikeradar.com/road/news/article/rider-killed-in-collision-with-car-in-british-race-36615/

 

[Flying_Monkey]

The rider's name has been released: Junior Heffernan - he was 23. Tragic. My thoughts are with his family, friends and team.

 

[Hotblack Desiato]

Very sad.

 

[oldroadman]

On another site, one comment posted - "xxxxx cars!". Totally inappropriate, when whoever wrote that was probably not there and can have no idea what happened. Whatever did happen will eventually emerge, right now it's a tragedy for a young rider and his family and friends. How close we all may have been to disaster without realising it, and escape unscathed, then something like this happens and make you think how a fraction of a second can chage everything. Absolute tragedy.

 

[summerdays]

Not lots of extra information but the report in the local paper:
http://www.thisisbristol.co.uk/Fata...tory-18314527-detail/story.html#axzz2Mc06qTY1

 

[Arjimlad]

This is very sad. Those roads are great for cycling around on a fine day, and to think of this young man's death on them is depressing. I hope he is somewhere enjoying celestial rides to his heart's content.

 

[Ian H]

There's a petition here about giving marshals powers to stop traffic for road races.This particular topic was discussed years ago and I recall a meeting where we were given to understand that action was imminent.

 

[gavintc]

I agree - very sad. A young man with his life ahead of him.

 

[montage]

http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/46709

A petition for motorbike outriders to stop traffic during road races. Please sign and share this.

 

[ColinJ]

http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/46709

A petition for motorbike outriders to stop traffic during road races. Please sign and share this.

The same one was mentioned by Ian H a couple of posts back.

Anyway - signed!

 

[montage]

The same one was mentioned by Ian H a couple of posts back.

Anyway - signed!

Oops!

 

[Monsieur Remings]

A few riders from my club - the Clevedon - were there spectating. One of them would, in years passed, have been marshalling himself. I'm led to believe it was a very high speed collision and the petition is very relevant above as it could have been avoided if the traffic coming head on had been stopped. The female driver was stopped but I don't think she was at fault.

Sickening, so too the fact that his parents were there. RIP Junior Hefferman.

 

[oldroadman]

To consider a few things. If the car was stopped, then it would have made no difference to the outcome, the poor lad crashed into it.
I believe British Cycling have been working for years on getting marshals allowed to stop traffic, and have seen a "lollipop" sign that says something like "Cycle Event - STOP" just like a crossing patrol sign, in use last season. That secured the junctions. Whatever any petition says, there will be plenty of resistance to anyone but police being allowed to officially stop traffic while they are on the move, and NEG have no more legal powers than anyone else n the road. Legislation takes years - much as we may want something, it simply won't happen.
All that said, it's an awful thing for a young rider to pay with his life for what may have been a simple error, probably we shall never know.

One other point, can anyone recall the last fatal incident in a UK road race? It is, thankfully, a very rare thing, so rare that it made the national papers.