Champion British mountain biker hurt after hitting pickup near Corralitos

Evolution at work....

Mike


http://www.mercurynews.com/centralco...nclick_check=1

Champion British mountain biker hurt after hitting pickup near
Corralitos
By Jennifer Squires - Sentinel Staff Writer
Posted: 01/20/2009 05:04:43 AM PST

Rachel Atherton is comforted by her brothers Dan and George... (Sven
Martin/Contributed photo)«12»CORRALITOS - A world champion cyclist was
recovering Monday after she hit a pickup head-on and dislocated her
shoulder about a mile into a training ride Sunday afternoon.

Rachel Atherton, a 21-year-old from Great Britain, was biking
northbound in the southbound lanes of Amesti Road just south of Browns
Valley Road when the crash occurred, according to the California
Highway Patrol.

Atherton, who won the elite UCI Downhill Mountain Bike World
Championship in June, had just started a 14-mile loop with her
brothers and teammates, Dan and George Atherton. Apparently, she
drifted into the wrong lane while rounding a corner and came into the
path of a southbound 1999 Ford Ranger pickup, the CHP reported.

"I was head-down pedaling at the start of the ride, not more than a
minute in when I looked up and saw a truck," Atherton said.
"Automatically (I) swerved to avoid it, but the driver swerved the
same way and before I knew it we were too close to avoid each other,
so I braced to take some of the impact."

Atherton hit the windshield on the passenger side of the pickup,
shattering the glass into a spider-web pattern.

She dislocated her shoulder and suffered cuts to her head and face,
and was flown to San Jose Medical Center for treatment. Monday, she
was scheduled to see a specialist about her shoulder injury, according
to Dan Brown, the manager of the her team, Animal Commencal.

Apparently, Atherton's new Cervelo road bike took the brunt
of the damage, Brown wrote in a posting on the team's Web site.

"I feel so lucky that I didn't come off any worse than I did,"
Atherton said. "There was a lot of blood and cuts but it is not too
bad."

The CHP reported she was not wearing a helmet. However, CHP officer
Hugh Holden pointed out cyclists over 18 are not required to wear a
helmet even though most serious cyclists choose to use the safety
equipment.

The crash remains under investigation.

Holden said it appears Atherton was at fault for the collision, but
said it was unlikely she would be cited for riding on the wrong side
of the road.

"She's the one that made the error. She's the one that got hurt. To
add insult to injury, we don't normally issue a citation," Holden
said.

Atherton has been in Santa Cruz with her brothers training since the
beginning of the year. She is preparing for the mountain biking World
Cup Series, which begins in April.

In January, Singletrack magazine awarded Atherton the title Mountain
Biker of the Year for the second year in a row and last month, she was
named BBC Midlands Sportswoman of the Year.

Contact Jennifer Squires at 429-2449 or
.
--
I am working on creating wildlife habitat that is off-limits to
humans ("pure habitat"). Want to help? (I spent the previous 8
years fighting auto dependence and road construction.)

Please don't put a cell phone next to any part of your body that you are fond of!

http://home.pacbell.net/mjvande

On Jan 21, 11:57*pm, Mike Vandeman wrote:
Evolution at work....

You got that right Michael, I've just convinced 4 of my co-workers to
purchase bikes.

Evolution indeed!

What was the pick up doing in the wilderness? Oh it wasn't and as
usual your post makes no connection...she wasn't riding offroad, you
tool.