F1 driver Mark Webber seriously injured in bike race
Many Formula 1 drivers maintain their endurance and competitive spirit in the off season through the sport of cycling. Australian F1 driver Mark Webber is one of those individuals and he lends his name to the Mark Webber Pure Tasmania Challenge, a five-day multidisciplinary event held annually on the island. Unfortunately, news has just come out that Webber has been seriously injured on the cycling portion of this year's event. Current details state that he has been airlifted to the hospital and a broken leg appears to be the worst of his injuries.
Mark Webber's injuries were sustained in a head on collision with a Nissan X-Trail SUV. The race runs on public roads, and there were apparently no provisions to separate the racers from traffic on this particular stage. The course also consisted of narrow, winding roads, which potentially caused interference with the extended vision of both parties involved. We wish him the best of luck in his recovery and hope he can work back to racing shape, for both open wheel and mountain bike events in the near future. Thanks for the tip Jack and Sammy.
[Source: ABC News Au | Photo: Mark Thompson/Getty]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Will 8:20AM (11/24/2008)
I hope everything turns out alright for him.
Bike racing can be tough because you don't get to choose when you crash. Some noob could've knocked him off his line and into the path of the vehicle. A freak wind could have blown him off balance (exceedingly rare, but it does happen). When racing a bike, just like racing a car, your safety also depends on the skills of those riding with you.
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J 8:21AM (11/24/2008)
Get well soon mark!
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Hamud 8:49AM (11/24/2008)
Road racing in public roads without closing the road?? How did they think this wouldn't end in a bad situation?
Anyway, hope he gets well soon.
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Paul M. Watson 9:23AM (11/24/2008)
I thought "seriously injured" was leading towards head injuries, neck or spine damage or at the least multiple fractures, not just a broken leg. Get better soon Webber.
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s13hybrid 10:00AM (11/24/2008)
Get better now!
I am surprised there was a race on an open highway, especially one that sounds like it has many blind corners, and is twisty enough for cars to cross the center line.
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dukeisduke 11:30AM (11/24/2008)
Yikes, I can't believe they didn't separate the local traffic from the bikes. An X-Trail is a pretty small SUV, but then, a car's a car when you hit one with a bike.
When I read this, I was reminded of when NZ rally driver Possum Bourne was killed a few years ago, when driving to an event in NZ.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Possum_Bourne
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010111 1:19AM (11/27/2008)
not only that... but he also was recently horned in the back by a pissed off bright red bull.
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Nigel Pond 10:33PM (11/28/2008)
Since when is a broken leg a "serious injury". Hope he recovers OK and all that, but the headline is a little too dramatic.
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