A motorcycle veered off course and collided with at least four individuals in the final kilometers of the Tour of Poland on Wednesday. According to the Polish newspaper Bielskie Drogi, the incident occurred near the roundabout at Gościnna, resulting in a collision that caused injuries to four people.
During a turn on the road, a racing motorcycle deviated from its path, collided with a road sign, and subsequently struck fans who were positioned along the route.
Rafał Kobyłecki, the spokesperson for the Bielsko-Biała Regional Police, reported that all injured parties, including the driver, were transported to a medical facility. Fortunately, the injuries appear to be not too severe.
Race neutralized, riders shocked
The race was neutralized after the collision occurred, and many riders wanted to halt the race. Following the incident, riders expressed their desire to stop the race. Matej Mohorić from Team Bahrain Victorious, the leader of the race after five stages, echoed this sentiment.
Brutal three car pile-up at Tour of Poland after bike change
“There was a motorcycle crash 4 km from the finish line, at the roundabout. It was evident that the situation was grim. I hope everyone will recover fully. We didn’t intend to finish; we aimed to stop the race,” he said. “However, the race continued on the final climb, so I needed to go for bonus seconds. My focus wasn’t on the sprint, but rather on the people involved. My hope is that everyone will be all right.”
The moto driver was aapparently quite experienced and they are not being blamed for the collision. There has been many discussions lately about rider safety when it comes to motorcyles on the course, or for impeding the riders during the race. During the 2023 Tour de France, a moto got in the way of an attack by Tadej Pogačar in the final kilometres of Stage 14. In the Tour de France Femmes, a moto brushed up against riders as it went further up the road.
I’ve really enjoyed watching @LeTourFemmes, but in what universe is a motorbike allowed to push a rider out of the way?? Or is it just to let her know the next motor is about to take her out? If you can’t pass safely, don’t pass. We need better education for some motorbike… pic.twitter.com/w3CkDGv6aX
— Adam Hansen (@HansenAdam) July 26, 2023
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