Aeek wrote:
On Thu, 30 Aug 2007 09:14:53 GMT, Patrick Turner
wrote:

Last year there was a horrific crash during a women's cycling race along
the Cotter road,
I think between the Cotter Reserve and the Streeton Drive lights.

The Urraria loop based out of Stromlo Park, nowhere near the lights.

The charging pelatonne full of gutsy ladies charged along and straggled
furth across the road
which is two way country road without sealed verges between the gutters
and line.
Someone touched wheels and a pile up happened and a couple of riders
went head first
into an SUV coming the other way.

An past neighbour was in the bunch. They weren't across the road. Only
one rider hit the 4wd. She wasn't in the initial incident, looked back
to see what happened and drifted right. At least it was her mistake,
not some clown who refused to see.

While I can't disagree that the section between Uriarra Rd and Streeton
Drive needs desperate upgrading for cyclists (it's now a major route to
the crit track and stromlo MTB tracks), the accident you mention was a
result of a fall in a bunch and was essentially unrelated to the width
of the road or absence of a shoulder. When someone comes down in front
of you there aren't too many options. It was unfortunate chance that the
badly injured rider was hit by an on-coming car. I was in a bunch 5
minutes ahead of the accident and Aeeks old neighbour is a fellow squad
member, so the source is reliable. Having said all this... wow, an
upgrade of the Cotter-Uriarra loop for cyclists would be fantastic! Mind
you, I did the loop two weekends ago and the only obstacle on the whole
38 k's was a single small rock on the homestead stretch!

--
Bean

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