A CORONER will write to the organisers of an amateur cycling event following a rider’s death.
David Worthington, 51, from Pontefract, died in hospital after he collided with a coach during the 2017 Tour de Yorkshire Sportive.
South Yorkshire coroner Christopher Dorries told an inquest he will contact organisers, Human Race, about ‘future risk assessment procedures’. Mr Dorries recorded a narrative verdict at Sheffield Coroner’s Court, saying Mr Worthington had been travelling at about 30mph to 35mph when he collided with the coach as he rounded a ‘limited visibility bend’.
The court was previously told Mr Worthington hit the coach as it pulled out of Plank Gate on to Finkle Street Lane, having been forced to turn around due to a low bridge near Wortley on April 30 2017. He died in hospital six days after as a result of his injuries.
Mr Dorries said: “I’m happy to accept that this was a well organised event in many regards but launching 2,900 cyclists onto public roads, even first thing on a Sunday morning, is a serious undertaking requiring minute planning. If nothing else, this case perhaps demonstrates that the unexpected is not perhaps quite as rare as might be hoped.”
A spokesman for Human Race said it would ‘continue to critique our plans and processes to ensure lessons are learnt from this tragedy’.
