Elinor Barker has defended the rival who caused a horror crash that resulted in Wales' Olympic and world cycling champion being taken to hospital by ambulance in a neck brace.
Rio Olympics gold medallist and four-time world champion Barker suffered a painful broken collarbone, bruising and abrasions when she was brought down at high speed in a mass pile-up during the sprint finish of the richest women’s race in the world – the Prudential RideLondon Classique on The Mall.
Kirsten Wild thought she had won the race, which has a prize of £91,500, for a third time but was subsequently disqualified by the race jury for dangerous riding.
It ruled the Dutch sprinter had veered from her line and inadvertently caused the huge crash behind that wiped out about half of the peloton.
Barker tweeted: “They say you’re not a real cyclist until you’ve broken a collarbone. Avoided joining the club for the last 15 years but not much I could do yesterday.”
Wild, whose compatriot Lorena Wiebes was promoted to first place by the jury, was criticised by some people for her riding on social media.
But 24-year-old Barker said she was a “bit upset” at those comments, tweeting: “It’s easy to criticise from a slow-mo aerial shot.
“The real time reality is that everybody is just hoping that their split-second decision benefits themselves without harming anybody else. Race accidents happen.”
Barker broke down in tears on the podium after striking gold for Wales at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games in Australia last year when the Welsh national anthem was played. You can watch it here .
