Carnival classic result

[amateur]

I eco the congrats to Trackie and Gavin, well done boys!! Is awesome to see you guys on the podium.

 

I spoke to Gavin after the race and he said that crash was very bad and that it was caused by another tandem in the group, apparently these guys have been causing a bit of crap in the group on a few occasions.

 

Anyway, well done to everyone who rode!! It was an awesome ride and I had a fantastic time.

 

And special thanks to MichaelH who kept me company the enitire race! And for encouraging me over those "undulations" in the last 10 km's.

Once again sorry if we were to loud but at least we made for good intertainment!!

 

 

[Chris Willemse Cycles]

[frensch]

JaXi' date=' who was the guy/s on the tandem?

Yep, it looked quite bad when we went past them...

Anyone know what happened there?

Sean Badenhorst, you were there...

[/quote']

 

Ek was in een van die "team-karre" en kan net s? dat by elke val het John Robertson van Konica Minolta gestop -sy eie teamkar gery en beseerde ryers gehelp- nie net sy eie span s'n nie. 'N ongelooflike bydrae wat hy hierdie naweek gelewer het- 'n opgeleide paramediese ou soos hy se waarde is werklik nodig in elke race. Dankie John....jy het werklik 'n verskil gemaak in die ryers se lewe wat seer gekry het, hierdie naweek.

 

Die noodhulp was uitstekend en natuurlik het Prins / EXEL almal se harte laat staan met sy val- ai, die man kan darem "perform" as hy val en ....val hy nie te veel nie????en laat hy nie te veel om hom val nie???? Dalk moet hy bietjie sy "skills" op 'n mountain bike gaan oefen.

[scotty]

If goofs was in the race and at the prize giving he/she would have known that Cherise was third and Carla forth...

 

Mayby Championchips results differ and not Goofs...

 

I

 

You''re right Goofs was in neither the race nor at the end as he was waving a little flag around marshalling.

 

I ended up doing the 65 as a late entry (having also done the same route the previous day), and what a blast. Nice for my ego to pass so many cyclist's instead of them passing me.

[JaXi]

 

Hey Crux, it was Greg and Andy van den Barselaar , Greg is currently in ICU. His injuries are severe, wont know how bad until at least 7 days have past, they will scan him daily to check for bleeding on the brain.

 

Just want to say thanks to the paramedics, they were fantatsic.

 

JaXi2007-02-26 03:22:13

[Sean Badenhorst]

Hi Jaco

 

 

 

Yes, I was involved in that tandem crash but am very fortunate to just have a few scrapes! Andrew and Greg van den Barselaar, the two brothers that race in Club 100 kit, went down right in front of me. We were the two front tandems just a few seconds before that, riding at a steady pace. Then on that downhill, they eased up and so did we and the pack started to spread around us on the descent.

 

We were still near the front of a bunch of around 80 bikes and one of the male tandems that eased past us on our right moved in towards the left in front of the Van den Barselaars, but it was quite a quick move and at that very moment, Greg vd B, the pilot had turned slightly to look left as tandems were starting to come past on that side too. He drifted slightly to the right (as you often do when you glance left) and touched the wheel of that other male tandem (wearing red, I think Bruce Reyneke kit, but could be mistaken). We were doing about 60kph at this point.

 

Greg and Andrew fell fast and hard (as you do with a wheel touch) right in front of Jo McLeod and I. All I could think of was keeping my line because of all the other tandems behind that could go down if I swerved. I managed to hit brakes and thought I might actually miss them, but then their bike turned horizontally in front of us and I hit their chainring (I think). My front tyre popped as we rode over their bike, but I was still determined to hold my line because of the chaos that it would cause if I didn't. Trying to hold the bike steady at about 50-odd kph with a shredded front tyre was tricky but somehow I managed. But the bike drifted slightly to the left and as it did so we got hit by a mixed tandem (Enervit pair of Rodeny McLoughlin and his partner). They missed Jo, but I think their handlebars hit my lower back (which has some scrapes and bruising) and they tumbled over the bars! She was flung high up and sort of somersaulted landing very hard on her head next to me. I think their bike brushed my elbow because is it quite sore. Her helmet shattered (as it is meant to) and bits of it were all over the road. She got up and walked around but was clearly in shock.

 

Once I finally stopped (about 30 metres from where the brothers were), I turned around to see Andrew (stoker) holding Greg's head in his lap and shouting for someone to get help. Greg was lying unconscious in the middle of the road with a lot of blood coming from his head injuries.

 

I called ER24 (084 124) on my phone but fortunately behind the Elite men's bunch a few minutes later was an ER24 paramedic vehicle. In the meantime Jo McLeod (who has done some first aid courses) was trying to help stabilise Greg who had regained consciousness but was struggling to breathe - his breaths were shallow and very rasping.

 

John Robertson (Team Konica Minolta boss) stopped to help too when the Elites reached the crash scene and stayed until the paramedics arrived. John also has first aid training.

 

An ER24 ambulance arrived about 10 minutes later and they were great in, along with the paramedics, keeping Greg still, calm, getting him into a neck brace, onto a backboard, onto a stretcher and into the van.

 

Andrew, who had some grazes, went with Greg in the ambulance. Erick and Elrine Prinsloo (Team Cycle Lab) were also affected by the crash, but they didn't go down, just went off the road an punctured. They were very kind and transported Jo and I, our bike and the VdB's bike back to the start using their bakkie being driven by Gavin (Cycle Lab Events). An elderly gent that was transporting ice for the water points took Rodney and his partner and their bike back to the start.

 

According an SMS to me from Andrew vdB's wife, Theresa last night:

 

"Greg has had 38 stitches to his face (broken cheekbone and badly cut nose). Both knees and one hand badly damaged, but extent still unknown. Don't know if bleeding on left side of brain has stopped. His right side of his body is unresponsive. He is speaking normally but passes out often."

 

Apparently the female stoker from the Enervit tandem was also later admitted to ICU with suspected head injuries, but I have not had any further updates. I'm waiting for word from Rodney whom I e-mailed this morning.

 

 

 

Sean Badenhorst

[nochain]

Hel Jaxi ,always bad to hear when something like that happens!!

I came down pretty hard yesterday in the vets bunch but consider myself very lucky as far as injuries go ,the guy(Attie from Cedar Vadek) that came down in front of me looks a lot worst but I think if he reads about this guy then he will also feel a Lott better about he's injuries!!

[amoryns]

wow, this is really bad. Will pray for his recovery!

[Cruxpearl]

Thanks for the information Sean...

 

It's always bad when people fall, and touches deeply when it's someone you know and / or have raced against.

That's the bad thing when Tandems fall, as the results are usually quite a bit worse than when single bikes fall...

 

Jaco & Ren? (My Wife & Jaco's Stoker) sends well wishes and speedy recovery to you guys, but especially Greg...

Please let us know if and when you get an update

 

Regards

 

Carel Smith

[scotty]

There was also quite a serious one about 500m from the start of the 65k ride. Most had been cleared up but i saw 2 cycles been taken away when i passed.

[JaXi]

 

The van den Barselaar brothers and family are very grateful
to everyone who assisted after the horrific crash. They wish all who were
injured a speedy recovery.

 

However, Andy would like to state that Greg in no way
drifted into the path of the overtaking tandem. Rather, the passing
tandem clipped their handle bars. This forced Greg to swerve to the left. He
desperately tried to correct to the right and at that point the wheels touched,
bringing Greg and Andy down.

 

After riding tandem for four years, Greg and Andy have
enough road experience to ensure they don't partake in any drifting (which is
always dangerous) and Andy is deeply saddened by what he feels is an attempt to
blame them for the accident. His brother is lying in a severe, unstable
condition in ICU and while this in no way detracts from all the other serious
injuries received by the other riders involved, it is important to avoid laying
blame at the door of someone who cannot respond.

 

Thank you for all the well wishes

(posted on behalf of Andy vd B)

[Sean Badenhorst]

Hi Carel

 

I got a reply from Rodney McLoughlin from the Enervit tandem that was involved in the tandem crash. His partner, Shawne Page, does not have any head injuries, fortunately. She is grazed and bruised and sore, as you'd expect!

Rodney disovered after x-rays yesterday afternoon that he has some broken ribs.

 

Regarding the cause of the crash, I just described what I saw.

 

Sean Badenhorst

 

[A Barselaar]

I have been riding Tnadems for over 5 years now with my brother

 

any experienced tandem rider know the pilot never looks back.

the pilot is kept upto date with everyone behind by the stoker.

warning of attacks etc.

 

just before the accident I yelled at the other tandem to keep there line.

 

but they cut across us so quickly we had no where to go. ther was no touching of the wheels, as we were not slipping anyone at the time.

 

The other tandem came  tried an overtaking move and forgot that they were on a tandem. only the pilot had passed before turning in front of us. our haddle bars were hit and my brother tried desperatluy to correct one way then the next, and then our wheels touched.

our front wheel did 90 deg and we went down. my brother Greg went over the handle bars and I went side down with the bike.

 

I saw my brother hit face first into the ground, and I could do nothing to prevent it. after I stopped sliding, I raced to my brother as he was lying limpI starightend his body and secured his head. he was not breathing. I screamed for help, and he sputted and started to breath with a gurgle.

 

The only image left was to see the tandem that hit us ride off with out blinking an eyelid.

 

if they only knew what damaged they have caused.

 

 

[Mudsimus]

Good luck to you and your brother. May he have a quick recovery!

[Cruxpearl]

The only image left was to see the tandem that hit us ride off with out blinking an eyelid.

They were the guys with the Red Bruce Like Kit??

[A Barselaar]

thanks, I supose I am just very angry, and frustrated as to what has happened to my brother. we train for one race every year 'the Argus' , this was to be our last competive year in tandems, as my brother was going to give up and spend more time with his wife and children.

now, we wait to find out if he will be able to pull through.

we all know the risks of cyling, and we all compete anyway.

I am not out to blame anyone, accidents do happen.

it just seams such a waist to see my brother in the condition he is, and nothing can be done to prevent this type of thing happening again.

I know that other tandems came down after us. I hope every one is ok.

and those that are hurt, that you have a speedy recovery, and that you are back on the bicycle in no time.

we may not be seeing you guys in the future, so for all of you goodluck and all the best.