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Cyclist dies during Prudential RideLondon-Surrey 100Broken bike (CC licensed image by garryknight, www.flickr.com)

Cyclist dies during Prudential RideLondon-Surrey 100

Nigel Buchan Swanson, aged 69 suffered cardiac arrest shortly after the halfway point
by Simon_MacMichael
Mon, Jul 30, 2018 11:46
2

A cyclist taking part in yesterday's Prudential RideLondon-Surrey 100 has died following a cardiac arrest during the event.

Organisers confirmed his identity as Nigel Buchan-Swanson, aged 69, who was married with three children and six grandchildren and lived in Chichester, West Sussex.

They said the cardiac arrest happened at Ockley Road around 56 miles into the route.

Mr Buchan-Swanson died despite the efforts of other cyclists and medical personnel at the scene.

His wife Deborah said: “Nigel was a much loved husband, father and grandfather. He was a very experienced cyclist and died doing something he loved.”

He had been raising money for Macmillan and his fundraising page can be found here. 

Organisers added: "Everyone involved in Prudential RideLondon would like to express our sincere condolences to Nigel’s family and friends."

First held in 2013, there has been a fatality on the event most year's it has been run - unsurprising, given there are more than 25,000 participants - with cardiac arrest the most common cause of death.

Prudential RideLondon 2018
Simon MacMichael

Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.

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Organon | 6 years ago
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I have to say that people behaved brilliantly in the rain. There were very few crashes that I saw, (heard a crunch behind on the Embankment turn at Charing Cross, saw one older chap on the ground getting help on the Westway, one silver mummy spotted in a hub, and one lady seemed to have hit a traffic island.) There was lots of signalling and no real speeding down the hills in the wet. There was still quite fast sections, but I think everyone was just not taking the risk.

Still there were bottle necks in Kingston and Putney hill seems to have one side closed off for some reason creating another bottle neck, where it was open before. Having said that the riders did well, it did get a bit messy once the 48 mile event merged. There were some very slow cyclists riding on the very right of the road, seemingly unaware that people who were going much faster were trying to get past. It seems like the organisers need to do more to tell people to guage their speed and position themselves left to right accordingly, as people out for a pleasure ride have very different objectives to those trying to set their best ton.

Also soggy bananas in the hubs.

Second time I've done it, but disappointed about the rain, so time not comparable. The one time it rains in three months!

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Pushing50 | 6 years ago
6 likes

Lovely man who was a pleasure to ride with on the few cycling occasions that I joined him in. Condolences to his family and his Solent Cycling Buddies (SCB). Rest In Peace fellow velo enthusiast.

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