Shots from Sunday’s Tour de Fair Haven.
A rider in Sunday’s Tour de Fair Haven pro-level bike race suffered superficial injuries in a crash that led to his being helicoptered to a hospital, a race official tell redbankgreen.
The rider, who is believed to have lost consciousness in the crash, was treated for a “major cut above his eye” and remained hospitalized at Jersey Shore Medical Center in Neptune Monday morning, said race founder Michele Berger.
The rider, whose identity was not immediately available, was flown to the trauma center from Fair Haven Fields as a precautionary measure, Berger said.
The occurred with just two laps to go in the professional riders event, a 12-lap, 36-mile race that capped off a day of races for children and amateur racers.
Berger said that in a tight pack of racers, heading east on River Road at Maple Avenue, the front and rear wheels of two riders touched, causing one to lose control of his bike.
The injured rider was trailing behind, and crashed when he tried to avoid the action in front of him, Berger said.
“Apparently, he hit the pedal of another racer” with his face, Berger said.
The race was stopped for about 20 minutes as volunteer EMS workers stabilized the victim and took him by ambulance to the fields for transport to JSMC.
The race was resumed afterward, with the lead racer being granted a five-second head start to reflect his position in front of the pack at the time the race was halted, Berger said. He did not win.
[UPDATE, 1:15 p.m. Monday: Fair Haven police report that the biker who was flown to JSMC was
in stable condition. Another cyclist was transported to Riverview Medical Center for multiple
injuries, and two other cyclists were treated and released on scene.]
