Police witness appeal following cyclist fatality on A31 in Hampshire

I ride the H10/8 course where the rider was killed frequently and work in the nearest town. I suppose in some sort of internal protest I competed last night only a day after this tragic death.
The supporting club held a minutes silence before the start for a drastically reduced field from the normal Thursday turn out and as you can imagine there was a sombre mood to say the least.

Cycling on this crowded island can be hazardous and we are all reliant on motorists obeying the highway code and above all else being alert. In the last few Years I've witnessed more and more drivers using mobile phones whilst at the wheel and even more worrying texting.
The fact is there is a good line of sight on the road and maybe they should consider reducing the speed limit as there has been a number of high speed crashes (and deaths) between the A32 and the Coxbridge roundabout at Farnham.

I know this road very well, and if negotiated by a suitably trained driver there is no issue. Some roads are more challenging than others, and this section is right up there, however there is one simple rule that would eliminate a large number of these accidents:
Drive at a speed where you can stop safely on your side of the road in the distance you can see to be clear.
On the public road that speed may be 70 mph, or it may be less than 10 mph.
My sincere condolences to the family of the cyclist.

Just to be clear i would not ride a road like that given a choice, but the point is the problem is not so much the road, but the drivers on the road.

There is plenty of time for drivers who are paying attention to do something. That they don't!

The accident happened while the rider was taking part in a club time-trial (ten miles from the layby just before the Bentley slip road, down the Holyborne Rdbt, back to finish just by the Bull PH). I know that because I'm a member of the victim's club and was riding off at #2 (18:32 start). I don't know what start time the victim was off at.

There are ten and twenty five mile time trials on Tue, Wed & Thu nights all through the summer on that stretch of road (course H10/8, H25/8). There are open events (10s, 25s, 50s, 100s and a 12 hour) on a number of weekends right through the time-trialling season. The twenty five mile course is two laps, once round the Coxbridge Rdbt, twice round Holyborne Rdbt. The longer courses go across the Holyborne Rdbt and turn at the Chawton Rdbt.

I hope that Hampshire Police can gather enough evidence to charge the van driver with causing death by dangerous driving.

There's recently been some additional speed restrictions (60mph) on the section between Bentley and the Bull PH. It's also common to see a Hampshire Police camera van sitting in the middle of the road.

The weather was dry and bright, there was a bit of a head wind on the return leg from Holyborne to the Bull PH.

Please don't blame the cyclists.

My parents live near there, and the Bentley bypass was built 10-15 years ago (if I recall correctly). It's insanely fast, curved uphill, and gets cars easily doing 100mph before it narrows down again to the old road. It's bumpy and weirdly distracting with a lot going on.

I *won't* ride on roads like this. It doesn't matter that I *can*. Cars and vans passing insanely close at 90mph is too damned scary.

I used to commute (by car) daily down this road. To my shock on regular occasions during summer months, you would see a local cycling club time-trialling the stretch passed Bordon Camp. I wouldn't ever consider riding my bike on this road, let alone getting in my TT 'zone' and racing it.

n/b: Not saying this cyclist was racing or insuating blame of any sort.

Looks pretty much a motorway in all but name.
I would never ever ride down such a road except on my motorbike. Certainly wouldn't cycle along it.
RIP.

Very sad news. I've ridden and driven this road a number of times it is a very fast stretch of dual carriageway, not cycle friendly at all.

Condolences to the family. I hope they've caught the right person, and a speedy trial ensues. The family can't put closure on this until the driver has been handed a 6 month driving ban and a £750 fine.