User:Shearonink/Professional cyclists image gallery idea

Vélodrome Parc des Princes.jpg,

site of Breton's 1902 death

(circa 1900 postcard)]]

The first documented deaths of professional cyclists during competition date to the 1890s. Before 1929 at least 47 professional riders and pacemakers died at velodromes in track cycling and since 1994 a number of professionals have been killed in accidents with motorized vehicles while training on public roads. The dangers of cycling continue to be disputed among modern sources. For example, the 2005 United States Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) data showed bicycling to be nearly as dangerous as American football. A survey of 2008 Olympics teams, however, indicated that cycling was not even in the top 6 most injury-prone sports during competition that year.

Deaths during training or another reason related to cycling
These athletes did not die during competition, but rather died during training, during scheduled breaks while participating in a professional race or from another reason related to cycling. Since 1994, at least eighteen professional cyclists have been killed after being struck by a car or truck, fifteen while training, three while out cycling for pleasure.

1900s to 1928

 * Archie McEachern, May 13, 1902, Canada, Track cyclist. Coliseum Cycling Track, Atlantic City, New Jersey.  McEachern, a former middle distance Canadian National Champion, was also winner of the 1901 New York Madison Square Garden Six-Day Bicycle Race (the first Canadian to do so). In May 1902 he was participating in a practice run prior to the Atlantic City velodrome's official opening that was being paced by a tandem motorcycle (driven by his two trainers Bobby Thompson and Alfred Boake). Riding closely to the pace vehicle, McEachern was fatally injured when the bike's drive chain broke and he died within minutes. Canadian Cyclist placed him 9th on their list of Top 25 Canadian Cyclists of the Century in 1999 and Journal of Sport History (Volume 1-2, published 1974) stated that he "was one of Canada's most famous professional cyclists" of his day.


 * Breton, track cyclist, Parc des Princes track, August 1902. Breton was killed when he steered his bicycle away from another cyclist and into the path of a 14 horsepower motorcycle being driven at 50 mph by Marius Thé. The track management allowed motorcyclists and racing bicyclists (called "flyers") to train at the same time.


 * Jimmy Michael, Aberaman, Rhondda Cynon Taff, Wales, United Kingdom. 1885 & 1902 World Record-holder(Track). Died while en route from the UK to the United States on the ocean steamer "Savoie". He was either suffering from alcoholic delirium tremens, a brain hemorrhage or possibly a combination of the two. Michael's death most certainly had its genesis in a 1903 cycling accident at Friedenau where he fractured his skull and thereafter suffered debilitating headaches. November 1904


 * Hugh McLean, USA, died on September 9 or 10, 1909. as a result of a training accident earlier in the month at the Revere, Mass. cycling track.  McLean was a champion middle distance cyclist who had placed 2nd in the 1899 World Championship (Track/Stayers) and 1st with Floyd Krebs at the 1907 Boston Six Days.


 * Adolphe Heliére, France. Drowned while swimming during a rest day of the 1910 Tour de France.


 * Franz Suter, Switzerland, June 1, 1914. Struck by a train while training with his brother Paul near Courbevoie, France.


 * Floyd MacFarland, United States. 1900 & 1908 Six-Day Race Winner (Madison Square Garden). Stabbed to death with a screwdriver during practice at Newark Velodrome, April 17, 1915.


 * Ottavio Bottecchia, 1924 & 1925 Tour de France Winner, Italy, June 14, 1927. Found by the side of the road with bruises and serious skull fracture. The cause has remained a mystery — various theories have included a solo-crash/serious fall or an assault by unknown Fascists.
 * Gustave Lejour, 1928 Track cyclist, while training on the Frankfurt (Germany) track

1975

 * Tommy Godwin, United Kingdom. In 1939, Godwin achieved the long-distance record for miles cycled in one year...75,065 miles. Authorities have since determined that the attempt to beat this mileage would be too dangerous so the figure will never be overtaken. Godwin died in 1975 of heart failure, aged 63, returning from a ride to Tutbury Castle with friends.

1994 to 2009

 * Antonio Martín, Spain. He was killed by a truck while training near Madrid, 1994.


 * Néstor Mora, Augusto Triano (or "Augusto Gonzalez") and Hernán Patiño, February 21, 1995, Colombia  Three members of Team Postobon were killed almost immediately while group training when a truck collided with another vehicle, sending the second vehicle careening into the group of cyclists.


 * Beryl Burton, United Kingdom. Heart failure while out delivering invitations by bicycle to her 59th birthday party, May 8, 1996. One of the most dominating figures in world sports history, Burton regularly beat male competitors. Her 12-hour record of 277.25 miles (raced in 1967) stood as both the women's and the men's world record for two years and is still the women's world record.


 * Dave Bedwell, United Kingdom. Collapsed and died while on Cyclists Touring Club ride near Torquay. February 28, 1999, aged 70.


 * Edith Atkins, England. Was hit by a car while pushing her bicycle across a pedestrian road crossing, August 28, 1999


 * Anders Nilsson, Sweden, June 21, 2000. National team member in Triathlon, professional. Died immediately when hit by a speeding car during bicycle training, the car left the scene.


 * Ricardo Otxoa, Spain. February 15, 2001. Hit by a car during a training session together with his brother Javier (who survived but suffered serious brain injuries). The Circuito de Getxo was renamed the Memorial Ricardo Otxoa in his honor.


 * Luke Harrop, Australia. January 13, 2002. Struck by a stolen car driven by an unlicensed driver who was out on bail at the time and who also fled the scene. Gold Coast, Brisbane, Australia during a training ride. Having severe head trauma, former champion triathlete Harrop died a day after the accident. In 2003, Australia's Gold Coast Triathlon was renamed in Harrop's memory as the Gold Coast Triathlon — Luke Harrop Memorial.


 * Lauri Aus, Estonia. July 20, 2003. Hit by a truck driven by a drunk driver while training for the Estonian MTB (Mountain Biking) Championship.


 * Stive Vermaut, Belgium. Retired from professional cycling in 2002 because of a congenital heart disease. Had a heart attack during a recreational ride on June 13, 2004 and died later that month on June 30.


 * Amy Gillett, Australia. Head-on collision with a car in Germany on July 18, 2005 (while training with her squad for the Thüringen Rundfahrt der Frauen which had been scheduled for the next day).


 * Zak Carr, England, UK. Struck from behind and killed while cycling to work near Norwich, on October 17, 2005


 * Scott Peoples, Australia. Struck from behind and killed on a training ride in December 2006 in Victoria.


 * Jason MacIntyre, Scotland, UK. Struck by a vehicle on a training ride in January 2008.


 * Frederiek Nolf, Belgium. Died in his sleep during the 2009 Tour of Qatar. February 5, 2009.


 * Zinaida Stahurskaya, Belarus. 2000 World Road Race Champion. Struck by a car on a training ride in Belarus, June 25, 2009


 * Dimitri De Fauw, Belgium, committed suicide on November 6, 2009, after struggling with depression following Isaac Gálvez's death in the 2006 Six Days of Ghent.

2010 to present

 * Jorge Alvarado, Mexico. A Bahati pro team rider, Alvarado was training when he was struck head-on by a vehicle being driven by an 18 year old illegally street racing in San Bernardino, CA on April 8, 2010.


 * Shamus Liptrot, Australia. May 10, 2011. Died as a result of injuries sustained in a "horrific crash" during the Men's C Grade scratch track race at the 2007 Devonport (Tasmania) Christmas Carnival.


 * Victor Cabedo, Spain. September 19, 2012. Died during a training ride after colliding with a vehicle.