Primavera 2006- Sunday April 23

[bikergal]

DH and had both been sick towards the end of last week and I was feeling pretty run down during the entire ride. We live about a mile or two from the wall and I was so tempted to just ride home and forget the whole thing but I talked myself out of it. DH made it up the wall and then came down to find me and went up again! I'm not a great climber yet so I made it up part of the way and then had to walk the rest. Riding along the resevoir was beautiful. Had a near collision on the way down when the two cyclist in front of me decided to slam on their brakes without warning while we were going around 23mph.
When we got to the second rest stop I was really beat. We bailed and took the 70K route which was only 10miles to the end. Riding along 84 was slightly scary with all the big SUV's who think they own the road but we made it!

[aka_kim]

I did the 100k route, and started around 7:15 also. I did see a few of the high argyle socks, but didn't associate them with the Benicia club.

Although I personally had a good ride, I saw the worst thing I ever want to see while riding. A rider went down on the Palomares downhill, and I was among some of the first cyclists to find him. He was sprawled ackwardly across the road, face down, unconscious and bleeding from the head. Someone was trying to staunch the bleeding, and someone else had gotten a cell signal to call 911. The rest of us stood around feeling impotent and horror stricken, as more cyclists came to a stop as they rounded the corner to the accident sight.

Suddenly the guy trying to stop the bleeding frantically rolled the man over and began administering CPR. Two other cyclists with some emergency medical training began helping. They'd get a pulse, stop the CPR, and within a minute need to resume. Someone had a jacket to help keep the man, whose name was Richard, warm. Passing motorists looked at the site with odd looks, like wtf are those stupid cyclists doing blocking the road. Meanwhile, the good samaritans knelt in Richard's blood, alternately calling to him and doing CPR.

I finally left just before the paramedics arrived. I could do nothing to help, and suddenly had this overwhelming fear that the man would not survive. I was alternating between near sobbing and wanting to vomit.

I haven't heard anything about what happened, whether Richard lived or not.

[bikergal]

Wow Kim, that must have been so scary. Can you email the organizers and ask them if he's ok?

[Bike Goddess]

Oh my. I overheard that something had happened on Palomares after we got back but didn't know for sure. Hopefully we can find out more and let you all know.

[E2theD]

I'm part of the velogirls list and a few members knew the guy you are talking about. A few messages circulated today. His name was Richard Fitzpatrick and he passed away yesterday at Eden Hospital.

So very sad. Keep his family in your prayers.

Erin

[Veronica]

Oh that is so sad. My heart goes out to everyone involved.

Veronica

[miffy'sFuji]

Here is a news story about the accident:

http://www.chicoer.com/news/bayarea/ci_3749288