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Video: Rider sent crashing as spectator grabs bike in sprint finish

Velocio-SRAM's Loren Rowney hits barriers as she contests win with Wiggle-Honda's Giorgia Bronzini...

TV cameras have captured the moment a spectator appeared to grab the handlebars of the bike of Velocio-Sram rider Loren Rowney and sent her crashing to the ground as she sprinted against former world champion Giorgia Bronzini this afternoon.

The incident took place at the end of the 138-kilometre Dutch race, the Drentse 8 van Wetsterveld, with the Australian rider going into the barriers as her bike was pulled towards them, apparently on purpose.

You can see the incident in this highlights video of the race, which starter and finished in Dwingeloo and is part of the programme ahead of Saturday’s Ronde van Drenthe, the first race in the 2015 UCI Women Road World Cup.

Rowney’s team – formerly Specialized Lululemon – said in a tweet afterwards that following the crash she was “up and walking away” although TV footage showed her holding he left shoulder with her right hand.

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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36 comments

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dcddcd | 9 years ago
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Looks entirely deliberate to me, after watching several times. Doesn't look like his earlier action of banging the boards at all.

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Gkam84 | 9 years ago
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He's handed himself into the organisers claiming his innocence.....is that before the lynch mob found him  14

This is another angle, he is banging the boards, but makes a clear movement to take her bars https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hH7HeBpPbQA&feature=youtu.be

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fenix | 9 years ago
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There is a video from a different angle that shows it better. The guy wasn't banging before or after - his only action was to grab the bars.

Looks deliberate from that angle.

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horizontal dropout replied to fenix | 9 years ago
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fenix wrote:

There is a video from a different angle that shows it better.

Do you have a link fenix?

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Fifth Gear | 9 years ago
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This is obviously deliberate. The assailant is banging the side then reaches right out at the exact moment the cyclist passes. It could not possibly be an accident.

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therevokid | 9 years ago
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If it was such an accident ... why did he disappear into the crowd so
rapidly ????

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andyp replied to therevokid | 9 years ago
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therevokid wrote:

If it was such an accident ... why did he disappear into the crowd so
rapidly ????

Are you seeing a different video to the rest of us? All you can see from this is that he stands up a little.
I blame the spectator on the grassy knoll, personally.

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CliveDS | 9 years ago
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Looks like a careless accident to me unless the spectator is just one seriously talented handlebar grabber.

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Colin Peyresourde | 9 years ago
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changed my mind again. His excuse seems entirely implausible.

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skidlid | 9 years ago
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That was a deliberate action on behalf of the grey haired spectator. Not sure what the Dutch laws are but that would be GBH if the poor woman has a broken clavicle, totally reckless and unwarranted. Has this ever happened before?  14

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horizontal dropout | 9 years ago
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Of course if it was deliberate it's despicable but I looked at the vid frame by frame and although the vid is not very clear I think it was accidental. The guy is banging the side and I think he lifts his arm to do a more pronounced bang for Bronzini and catches Rowney's handlebar on the down stroke. He doesn't appear to actually grab her handlebar, just hit it. Perhaps he was looking at Bronzini and didn't see Rowney till too late. Immediately afterwards his actions could be interpreted as someone horrified by what they had done.

Since Bronzini was ahead and so close to the line there was no benefit racewise to knock Rowney off.

Lets hope he comes forward.

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theloststarfighter | 9 years ago
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If it was an accident I'm sure he'll want to come forward and apologise. He might have sustained an injury too for his carelessness.

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3mkru73 | 9 years ago
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Watching the video carefully and reading the Dutch reports, seems more like an accident. It looks like the guy (along with other spectators) is banging on the boards when his arm catches the riders handlebar.

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consciousbadger replied to 3mkru73 | 9 years ago
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3mkru73 wrote:

Watching the video carefully and reading the Dutch reports, seems more like an accident. It looks like the guy (along with other spectators) is banging on the boards when his arm catches the riders handlebar.

Totally disagree. While it is true that he is banging the boards before the incident, his arm comes out much further than previously in order to hit her handlebar.

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Rooster123 | 9 years ago
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What a horrible man. I've watched the footage over and over. No doubt about it, deliberate and disgusting. Someone will have a photo from the other side. I hope they catch you.

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notfastenough | 9 years ago
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Just speechless. What did they think the outcome would be at that speed?!

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Leodis | 9 years ago
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What a total wanker, why would anyone do such a thing.

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OldRidgeback | 9 years ago
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Was it Jeremy Clarkson?

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runskiprun replied to OldRidgeback | 9 years ago
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Clarkson? I thought his bete noir was caravans?

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3wheelsgood replied to runskiprun | 9 years ago
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I thought JC's bete noir was ass. producer.  1

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Jimbomitch | 9 years ago
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WTF? Why go to a race if you are going to do this. Might have to be careful, as this guy is clearly disturbed. Speedy recovery for poor Loren.

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edvelo | 9 years ago
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Broken collerbone apparently.

It's actions like this which, as said above, will mean genuine fans lose out, as before long they'll have a 2 metre exclusion zone along the finish straight so these things don't happen.

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ta2dwez | 9 years ago
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When I first saw this, it looked like he was hitting the railing, but he pauses. What a tw@! What where the injuries?

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Russell Orgazoid | 9 years ago
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What a low-life piece of shit.
Hope she gets well soon.

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Alankk | 9 years ago
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What a tool.

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jonesy2425 | 9 years ago
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what a grub, nail them to the ground and have the peloton attempt to bunny hop them at speed.

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catfordrichard | 9 years ago
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Baffling thing to do there. Hopefully incidents like these don't change the unique amount of access to riders and the action that makes cycling the sport it is. Sadly we see people doing stupid things for photographs etc.

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nowasps | 9 years ago
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Looked like an old white-haired guy to me.

Why would any one do that?

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choddo | 9 years ago
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"appeared to"??

He needs to be in court.

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Oolon Colluphid | 9 years ago
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That's just unbelievable... poor girl. What a wanker.

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