Nic Bester attacked while training.

[gummibear]

Hope he heals up fully from this and that the savages are caught.

 

https://twitter.com/abramjee/status/1300096267142529029?s=21

[gummibear]

https://twitter.com/shaunnickbester/status/1300074855509958668?s=21

[gummibear]

https://www.news24.com/sport/othersport/athletics/comrades-legend-nick-bester-in-icu-after-brutal-assault-20200830

[Rowl]

I hope these savages get what's coming to them one way or another. This is atrocious/disgusting/vile.

[DR ◣◢]

Why so brutal! A robbery is a robbery but why try and murder a person for a bicycle.... motive was clearly more than just theft.

[Cav']

Unbelievable. Luckily Nick is tough as nails.

[TyronLab]

I read that he was carrying a pistol on him which was also taken. While I completely agree that there's no justification to ever beat someone like this and what happened to him is absolutely awful, there's seemingly a correlation between resistance and damage inflicted.

 

With the recent jump in bikejackings and stories related to them it seems to be the case that when you give up your bike without resistance and just run away everybody gets away unscathed (physically at least).

 

If you're carrying a gun you're in the mindset that you will defend yourself and your possessions.

 

As an anti-gun person I may be biased and may be lambasted for this, but I don't see any reason I would ever want to fight for my bike. Hell, I'd help the thief with a mini bike set up to make sure he can ride alway comfortably. No material possession is worth your life.

 

I'm also sure that there are many instances where people have given up their bikes and have still been hurt. I'm commenting on the general trend of resistance vs damage.

 

With that being said, and the can of worms officially opened, I hope he makes a full recovery and that he returns do doing what he loves.

Edited August 31, 2020 by TyronLab

[MORNE]

I read that he was carrying a pistol on him which was also taken. While I completely agree that there's no justification to ever beat someone like this and what happened to him is absolutely awful, there's seemingly a correlation between resistance and damage inflicted.

 

With the recent jump in bikejackings and stories related to them it seems to be the case that when you give up your bike without resistance and just run away everybody gets away unscathed (physically at least).

 

If you're carrying a gun you're in the mindset that you will defend yourself and your possessions.

 

As an anti-gun person I may be biased and may be lambasted for this, but I don't see any reason I would ever want to fight for my bike. Hell, I'd help the thief with a mini bike set up to make sure he can ride alway comfortably. No material possession is worth your life.

 

I'm also sure that there are many instances where people have given up their bikes and have still been hurt. I'm commenting on the general trend of resistance vs damage.

 

With that being said, and the can of worms officially opened, I hope he makes a full recovery and that he returns do doing what he loves.

i think the article was edited or something was lost in translation...

 

as per the other thread. so did he carry a weapon or did he not? the latest one states he now wants to go ride with a weapon to lure people out, but abslolutely no mention of carrying a weapon. maybe it was numberless

 

https://www.news24.com/Sport/nick-bester-attacked-robbed-20101014

Edited August 31, 2020 by morneS555

[Vetplant]

i think the article was edited or something was lost in translation...

 

as per the other thread. so did he carry a weapon or did he not? the latest one states he now wants to go ride with a weapon to lure people out, but abslolutely no mention of carrying a weapon. maybe it was numberless

 

https://www.news24.com/Sport/nick-bester-attacked-robbed-20101014

Ja somethinig fishy with the reporting on this one.

 

This latest incident was definitely reported at some stage that he had a pistol with him. The 2010 incident, he did not have a weapon with him.

[Mojoman]

i think the article was edited or something was lost in translation...

 

as per the other thread. so did he carry a weapon or did he not? the latest one states he now wants to go ride with a weapon to lure people out, but abslolutely no mention of carrying a weapon. maybe it was numberless

 

https://www.news24.com/Sport/nick-bester-attacked-robbed-20101014

I certainly wouldn't ride with a firearm....run maybe...but I feel with cycling there is so much happening once you are locked into your pedals that you can't realistically get pulled off a bike and suddenly become Rambo/Dirty Harry.....At least with running you are already on your feet and have a better chance of getting the weapon out, aimed and ready to fire?

 

 

 

Edited August 31, 2020 by Mojoman

[MORNE]

^ quote:

[Vetplant]

Ja somethinig fishy with the reporting on this one.

 

This latest incident was definitely reported at some stage that he had a pistol with him. The 2010 incident, he did not have a weapon with him.

I found the full text, it was apparently a .38 special:

 

"Nick Bester (60), die Comrades-kampioen van 1991, is Sondagoggend ernstig beseer terwyl hy in die Magaliesberg in die noorde van Pretoria gestap het ter voorbereiding van die komende Battle of the Sports oor ’n afstand van 200 km om te bepaal watter sportsoort se deelnemers is die taaiste.

 

Die voormalige Comrades-kampioen Nick Bester kort nadat hy Sondagoggend oorval en aangerand is terwyl hy in die Magaliesberg in Pretoria geoefen het. Foto: Sharon Bester

Bester, wat sy .38 Special by hom gehad het, is in die berg naby die Mabopane-snelweg van agter deur drie mans bekruip en oorrompel voordat hy vasgebind en erg aangerand is.

 

“Ek het hulle glad nie gehoor nader kom nie,” sê Bester.

 

Hy woon nie ver van die plek waar hy aangerand is nie.

 

Bester, wat nog topfiks is en gereeld bergfiets ry en met sy kano roei, se wangbeen en drie ribbebene is gebreek. Hy word in die Eugene Marais-hospitaal behandel.

 

“Ek het gedink ek gaan vandag dood. Hulle (die aanvallers) het gedreig hulle gaan my met my eie rewolwer doodskiet of met ’n mes doodsteek,” het Bester, ’n voormalige Springbok-driekampatleet, uit die hospitaal aan Netwerk24 gesê.

 

Nick Bester, de Comrades-kampioen van 1991, in die Eugene Marais-Hospitaal in Pretoria. Foto: Sharon Bester

 

Die negemalige Comrades-gouemedaljewenner NIck Bester word Sondagoggend in die Eugene Marais-Hospitaal in Pretoria behandel nadat hy in die Magaliesberg waar hy besig was om te oefen, aangeval is. Foto: Sharon Bester

Bester, tans bestuurder van die Nedbank-hardloopklub, is met ’n klip teen die gesig geslaan. Hy vermoed sy aavallers het hom ook met sy rewolwer teen die kop gekap.

 

Hulle het hom ook geskop terwyl hy op die grond gelê het.

 

“Nadat hulle my aangerand en my gelos het, het ek op my rug teen die berg af geseil om hulp te kry,” het die negemalige Comrades-gouemedaljewenner gesê.

 

Hy het uiteindelik mense gekry wat die toue om sy voete en hande kon losmaak. Bester het daarna by ’n huis aan die noordekant van die berg om hulp gaan aanklop.

 

Die dokters sê hulle gaan my vir eers in die hospitaal opneem.

Personeel van ’n veiligheidsmaatskappy het hom daarna na sy dokter, dr. Gerhard Kirsten, gebring.

 

“Dit is baie seer. Behalwe vir my wangbeen en drie ribbes wat gebreek is, het ek verskeie snye teen die kop en bene,” het die oudvalskermsoldaat gesê.

 

“Die dokters sê hulle gaan my vir eers in die hospitaal opneem.”

 

Behalwe sy rewolwer is sy selfoon ook gesteel.

 

Bester en twee ander voormalige Comrades-kampioene, David Gatebe en Bongmusa Mthembu, sou van eerskomende Saterdag af in die Battle of the Sports, ’n liefdadigheidskompetisie, “hardloop” teen onder andere rugby se John Smith, Schalk Brits en Hanyani Shimange en krieket se oud-Proteas Makhaya Nthini en Monde Zondeki.

 

• Tien jaar gelede het aanvallers Bester van sy fiets afgegooi, geskop en geslaan en met ’n mes gedreig toe hy in ’n bos naby dieselfde snelweg gery het.

 

Bester (50) se een rib is gebreek tydens die voorval in ’n bos langs die Mabopane-snelweg. Sy Scott-bergfiets van R50 000 is in daardie voorval gesteel.

netwerk24"

[MORNE]

thats a big piece of the puzzle (losing a weapon) to get wrong though.....

[Vetplant]

thats a big piece of the puzzle (losing a weapon) to get wrong though.....

Look, Network24 is not my favourite source of verified information. But they quoted him saying that the attackers threatened to kill him with his own revolver. Would be very dodgy, even for them, to get such a quote wrong.

 

But allot of the other news sites now omit the firearm part of the story...

[DJR]

thats a big piece of the puzzle (losing a weapon) to get wrong though.....

Internet "journalism" is the modern exercise of the broken telephone game.    

 

When you come across someone who can write a comprehensive, logical piece in full sentences using punctuation and answering most of the questions, you should send them a big thank you. It is all to rare nowadays.

[Andrew Steer]

I certainly wouldn't ride with a firearm....run maybe...but I feel with cycling there is so much happening once you are locked into your pedals that you can't realistically get pulled off a bike and suddenly become Rambo/Dirty Harry.....At least with running you are already on your feet and have a better chance of getting the weapon out, aimed and ready to fire?

 

 

 

Having been bike-jacked myself, I have to agree... you really don't have any time to react. Unless you are seriously well trained and very aware at all times, you're going to struggle to get that gun out unless it is very easily accessible and you read the situation very early.

And having a gun in the mix immediately escalates the situation many fold, I think we're all sick of these bastards, but no bike is worth losing your life over. Leave the heroics for the guys who walk out of these situations 9 out of 10 times...

For the rest of us, insure, ride in groups when you can, and live to ride another day