The opening stage of the Vuelta a Costa Rica took place today, but the race was overshadowed by a terrible incident at La Trinidad where a car drove in front of the peloton.
The video footage below shows the incident whereby a taxi pulls away from the pavement moments before the peloton approaches. The taxi driver then decides to turn left as the peloton catches up to him.
The impact isn’t seen but in the aftermath, a number of riders can be seen on the ground writhing in agony. Three riders were injured with Felix Araya coming off worst. Fortunately, he suffered no serious injuries and after receiving medical attention, he was able to continue in the race.
The peloton stopped for more than 30 minutes after the incident and cyclists tried to confront the taxi driver who stayed in his car. The local police have said that an accident report has transferred to the Prosecutor’s Office.
i gotta say, this is the organizer’s problem. The roads should not have traffic on them when the race is underway. Completely unsafe.
Wrong cyclists are also part of the traffic.you wouldn’t expect the car to turn in on you if you were in your car.be more aware of your surroundings.driving without due care and attention.criminal offence.
Very few roads are closed for races here either.
One word: marshal. Sure, the cabbie was not paying attention and ’caused this. I don’t know about Costa Rica, but an accident like this is not a criminal offence in Canada or North America, not unless there’s proof of malicious and deliberate intent. But never mind that, where were the marshals? Is this race not UCI sanctioned? UCI regulations are very clear about the need for marshals for rider safety and to ‘control’ traffic.