A Malaysian rider was stretchered off the track and two others also needed medical attention after a mass pile-up in Commonwealth Games cycling.
As riders jockeyed for position with one lap left in the men’s 10 kilometre scratch race, a crash in the back half of the bunch took down seven riders, with all who crashed not finishing the race.
The three Australians dodged the carnage and Tom Cornish went on to win silver behind England’s Henry Hobbs.
But Malaysian New Joe Lau was taken from the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome on a stretcher. Red Walters of Grenada has a suspected broken collarbone and Canadian Jonathan Hinse was also in the hands of medical staff for several minutes before he was able to walk gingerly back to the team pits.
It was the first major crash after three days of track cycling at the Games.
“In racing, we’re pretty used to the chaos. When you hear something like that and it’s behind you, it’s almost a sigh of relief — just because you’re in front of it and you don’t have to dodge anyone,” Cornish said.
“So that was quite lucky.
“At that point, it’s an all-out sprint anyway and there’s not really much you can change.
“I was lucky to hold it up, I think.”
Australia’s Tom Cornish holds up his silver medal after avoiding the carnage in the men’s 10km scratch race. (Getty Images: Molly Darlington)
The old maxim in cycling is that there are two types of riders — those who have crashed and those who are about to crash.
Cornish has crashed five times this year already and knows he is lucky not to break any bones.
“If it just happens to be one person further forward, you crash. If it doesn’t then you make it through and that’s kind-of how it is,” Cornish said.
“It’s something we’re used to. I’ve been doing the sport for almost 20 years and it just becomes part of it.”
Fellow Australian Oli Bleddyn did well to avoid the falling riders, while Blake Agnoletto was clear of the carnage.
“I was lucky enough to have the boys working for me today. Both of them are so strong in their own right, they probably could have been up there as well,” Cornish said of their team riding.
“I was pretty lucky to have them.”
AAP
By
