Monday, February 25, 2008

Couple of good long rides this weekend. Weather finally cooperated, so I got 5 hours on Saturday and 3.5 on Sunday. As far as I have to go, I'm definitely much faster and stronger than last year at this time.

On the way home Sunday morning, we came across the scene of an accident where a cyclist had been killed. I didn't find out the details until later -- it was enough trying to deal with another cycling fatality. It turns out it was one of the racers in the 'Tour da Chicago' unsactioned, unofficial, alleycat race series that happens every winter. Roads are not closed, so racers take crazy chances speeding through red lights and stop signs. This time, Lady Luck turned her back on one rider.

The other racers witnessed the accident. It wasn't the driver's fault --- she had the green light. She couldn't know that a race was coming through that intersection. Witnesses say she tried her best to avoid the cyclists. I can't even imagine suddenly driving my car into the middle of a race. Horrible.

My thoughts are with the fallen cyclist's family, the racers who lost their comrade, and the driver who has to deal with having killed a person.
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2 comments:

brianfmorrissey said...

Mark and I happened on the scene,about an hour after it happened, as well. As we approached the police officers diverting traffic, told us, "Please be careful. One of your brethren was killed. It panicked me at first as I thought he was referring to our xXx kit. I felt guilty at my relief that he wasn't and that I didn't recognize the bike being loaded into the police cruiser, but still we didn't think to connect it to the Tour until we ran into other teammates on the lakefront.

After competing in my only alleycat last year and seeing some really over the top chances being taken, I told myself it can only be a matter of time. I am totally against this kind riding. Not alleycats in general, but the riding within them. Involving other people in this way, like this poor woman who will now be inextricably connected to the Tour, is incredibly selfish and irresponsible.

February 25, 2008 at 4:51 PM
Tamara Fraser said...

I too was terribly afraid that it was another xXx teammate . . . and was [ashamedly] relieved to find it wasn't. Riding through the scene, it took me right back to when Beth was killed. It was overwhelming, the dread, the fear, the pain. We didn't say much, just rode through. It was just too much to deal with all at once.

Sanctioned races with open courses are fraught enough, I can't even imagine racing alleycat.

February 26, 2008 at 9:35 AM

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