Originally Posted by gsteinb

A sad debate has begun to be waged centered on NJ cycling. Last September a cat 5 was involved in a crash that ultimately cost him his life. The rider, Cole Porter, was on the lead lap of the first race of the day. The pace car, having not taken a radio slowed at the end of the first lap and the head official tossed it to the car. The walkie missed, bounced to the pavement, and sped on. The official went into the road to retrieve it and was struck by the lead rider. Reports are that it was a bit too close and the pack charging too fast for the rider to do much to avoid the official. The official broke his collar bone. The rider went into a coma and died some weeks later. This week the family filed a law suit. The rider had a wife and two young kids.

The debate has begun to fall along the lines of the official being a good guy (he is - and he and his wife have been stalwarts of NJ cycling for decades) and the family being litigious. What's unpopular and shunned is the idea that while this is a sport with inherent risks that there are indeed circumstances where as riders we should be able to expect certain safeties to be provided. On a closed course, for instance, we ride with a closed course mentality. We may be aware that spectators may likely come into the road, but we dive turns expecting there not to be a car coming the other way. This happened at the NRC Harlem criterum a few years back when a taxi got on the course. Thankfully there wasn't an incident there.

In this case an official did something that would be unexpected of someone in his position, and as a result someone lost their life. I imagine that weighs heavy on him. And yet it is that there is a family without a father. With unanticipated financial hardships. All because he wanted to try bike racing as an extension of his passion for triathlons.