Junior riders injured in US Nationals crash The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review newspaper reported Saturday that "At least eight people were taken to area hospitals after a bicycling accident Saturday morning near Seven Springs Mountain Resort."
The Seven Springs Resort is currently host to USA Cycling's National Festival. The riders were reported to have been just a few miles into their 56-mile Junior 17-18 category road race, but the report said that "two people were flown by emergency helicopter" while "six other persons were taken by ambulance to Somerset Hospital, and an undetermined number of persons were taken to Excela Health Frick Hospital in Mt. Pleasant." Other news reports say that as many as 30 riders were involved in the crash.
The USA Cycling National Festival is currently in it's ninth day of competition and runs until July 16th. The event runs through July 14.
Sorry I pasted the whole thing but... I hope to hell that most was precautionary and overreaction. Thanks in advance! Bill Crowther
The riders were reported to have been just a few miles into
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their 56-mile Junior 17-18 category road race, but the report said that "two people were flown by emergency helicopter" while "six other persons were taken by ambulance to Somerset Hospital, and an undetermined number of persons were taken to Excela Health Frick Hospital in Mt. Pleasant." Other news reports say that as many as 30 riders were involved in the crash.
--------- This is the kind of [censored] that keeps parents from letting their kids cycle in a serious way. That's why they either give them a basketball or some new soccer shoes.
I don't know much about high school age people riding, I've seen them do terrific in races where they are surrounded by more mature people, in those packs. But you get a bunch of high school boys together, and they really have a knack for making the wrong decisions. I don't know what happened in this case, maybe a dog ran into the middle of the pack or something not their fault, but like I said the whole concept seems scary to me on the surface.
I don't have any information regarding the crash itself but a little background to add:
The Seven Springs courses are stupendously hilly, often with difficult curves on narrow roads. The descent entrance to Seven Springs have these stone kiosks that you have to ride past (you can choose which gap to ride through). The Crit course was held on an auto race track. When it rained for the Masters, many experienced riders tumbled on the oil-slick track. If you stayed up you had a great shot at top-10.
Having said that, the venue, though not suited to my particular abilities, was in general pretty good -- and very technical. It would be a shame if they had the crit at the same course cause let's face it. It rains all the time in PA in the summer.
I don't have any information regarding the crash itself but a little background to add:
The Seven Springs courses are stupendously hilly, often with difficult curves on narrow roads. The descent entrance to Seven Springs have these stone kiosks that you have to ride past (you can choose which gap to ride through). The Crit course was held on an auto race track. When it rained for the Masters, many experienced riders tumbled on the oil-slick track. If you stayed up you had a great shot at top-10.
Having said that, the venue, though not suited to my particular abilities, was in general pretty good -- and very technical. It would be a shame if they had the crit at the same course cause let's face it. It rains all the time in PA in the summer.
I hope those boys are okay.
-Rick
Sounds a lot like the old FCCC Jr. only race down there. That was a great, selective course, but technical. Older Jr. racing is "interesting" with all the natural testosterone gushing everywhere. My wife has been the official with the Jrs. for years at GMBC and stresses massively over their agressiveness and them possibly having that kind of crash. Right now I'm just wondering how many of "our" kids were caught up in it. Bill C
"Bill C" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...
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Sounds a lot like the old FCCC Jr. only race down there. That was a great, selective course, but technical. Older Jr. racing is "interesting" with all the natural testosterone gushing everywhere. My wife has been the official with the Jrs. for years at GMBC and stresses massively over their agressiveness and them possibly having that kind of crash. Right now I'm just wondering how many of "our" kids were caught up in it.
I was mostly trying to train the girls who everyone else was ignoring. But one thing I will say is that in this area there was extremely few people training the juniors whom I would have felt good leaving my kids with.
The one bright light in the junior program at the time was Nat what's his name but he was only one guy and didn't have the resources to really get involved beyond setting junior test races and selection races.
Unless there's some involvement from real racers who know how to develop young racers there will always be stupid kid racers.
Sounds a lot like the old FCCC Jr. only race down there. That was a great, selective course, but technical. Older Jr. racing is "interesting" with all the natural testosterone gushing everywhere. My wife has been the official with the Jrs. for years at GMBC and stresses massively over their agressiveness and them possibly having that kind of crash. Right now I'm just wondering how many of "our" kids were caught up in it.
I was mostly trying to train the girls who everyone else was ignoring. But one thing I will say is that in this area there was extremely few people training the juniors whom I would have felt good leaving my kids with.
The one bright light in the junior program at the time was Nat what's his name but he was only one guy and didn't have the resources to really get involved beyond setting junior test races and selection races.
Unless there's some involvement from real racers who know how to develop young racers there will always be stupid kid racers.
Hey Tom I'll give you three who have posted here right off, and one who doesn't: Adam Myerson John Verheul Chris Harnisch and he doesn't post here, but: Fernando Cuevas The RAD Racing program is also top notch. Bill C
