RIP Mathieu Riebel

[Tonton]

Tragedy at the Tour de Nouvelle-Caledonie. Former French junior track Champion Mathieu Riebel passed away after colliding with an ambulance. He was only 20 years-old. That's way too young. RIP Mathieu.

 

[RedheadDane]

Thanks for making the thread. Didn't have the heart to do so... then I considered - rather harshly - to simply post it in the General News thread; didn't have the heart for that either...

 

[GP Blanco]

Colliding with an ambulance, that is way too cynical

 

[GenericBoonenFan]

mes condoléances à son famille

 

[glassmoon]

Was the amb part of the race or was the race on semi-closed roads?
RIP

 

[Tonton]

Re:

Was the amb part of the race or was the race on semi-closed roads?
RIP

Semi-closed it seems. He helped a teammate (who got hurt in the accident) who had a mechanical, was trying to make it back in the peloton, downhill, 80 km/h, the ambulance was coming from the other direction.

 

[Red Rick]

I don't know what to say. When each tragedy is one too many words stop covering the load very quickly...

Rest in piece.

 

[GraftPunk]

RIP Mathieu, condolences and peace to those in mourning.

 

[Robert5091]

Condolences - so tragic.

 

[Tonton]

I see that CN has the story, and posters blame the organization on the comments section.

Yes, to some extend. But for these small races to stay alive, you count on volunteers, riders safety suffers. Minimal government/police. Like the Puerto-Rico disaster, support them or set them free. Don't be the fatherland falling sleeping on the couch.

The race organizers probably feel like &&&& right now. It's so sad.

 

[Echoes]

It reminds me of what I read about the Jempi Monseré accident in kermess also on semi-closed roads. Police/gendarmerie was blamed, signalman was blamed, the lady in the car who knocked him down was blamed and yet none of them were to blame. It was pure fatality. Pointing fingers is a natural reaction but sometimes it shouldn't be.