Rider says she was nearly hit by car during Tour of Britain Women opener
Australian rider Maeve Plouffe said she narrowly escaped being hit by a car on a roundabout during stage one of the Tour of Britain Women, while Lorena Wiebes held onto the leader's jersey after winning stage two.
Australian cyclist Maeve Plouffe has revealed she came close to being struck by a car on a roundabout during the opening stage of the Tour of Britain Women.
The 27-year-old, who rides for British continental team O'Shea Red Chilli Bikes, said the incident occurred as she was trying to chase back to the peloton after suffering a puncture on Wednesday. Writing on Instagram, she explained that while the race convoy was still visible and she was less than two minutes behind, members of the public driving cars approached her from multiple directions, with one nearly hitting her at a roundabout. She said she felt far safer once a motorbike escort arrived.
Plouffe linked the frightening experience to recent tragic events in the cycling world, saying such moments feel especially alarming given how devastating the consequences can be. She was referring to the death of 19-year-old British rider Fin Tarling, who was killed last week after colliding with a van that had strayed onto the course during stage eight of the Volta a Portugal. Before the Tour of Britain Women got underway, all 114 riders and spectators paid tribute to Tarling with a minute's applause. He was the younger brother of professional rider Josh Tarling, who was confirmed on Thursday in the Netcompany Ineos squad for the upcoming Vuelta a Espana.
Jonathan Day, events director of British Cycling Ventures, the commercial body that organises the Tour of Britain Women, said the comments were being taken extremely seriously, adding that rider safety remains a top priority and that the incident involving Plouffe and her team would be reviewed.
Stage two
Wet conditions marked the 110.5km second stage from Clitheroe to Blackpool, which included a diversion after lorries blocked the route and a temporary halt due to a road accident requiring emergency vehicles. A crash late in the stage involved Britons Anna Morris and Katie Scott along with Australia's Georgia Baker, though all three were able to continue. Dutch rider Lorena Wiebes won the sprint finish and retained the overall race lead, now 14 seconds ahead of Italy's Chiara Consonni.
