Norway says their junior female star was deliberately hit by a police car because she was wearing shorts riding back from her Worlds TT. Susanne Andersen is seen above being taken to hospital though she did not sustain any broken bones and went on to take bronze in the road race days later.
The Norwegian cycling federation has revealed one of its female riders was hit by a police car at the World Road Championships in Doha.
And officials say while they can’t prove the motive, they believe it was deliberate and probably done because the rider was a woman and was wearing shorts in public.
They said they did not report the incident, in which junior rider Susanne Andersen was hit by the police car, because they feared she would not be permitted to leave the country.
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Andersen was hit by the car after her TT while she was riding back to the team hotel, with news of the case having just emerged on Norwegian TV.
Andersen was left in pain on the ground and was taken to hospital.
Andersen put the incident behind her and took bronze in the junior road race later in the week (Photo: Sirotti)
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However, while images of her in a wheelchair were shown on the TV report that broke the story, she sustained only cuts and bruises and went on to take bronze in the road race days later.
But, like the officials running her national team, Andersen also seemed convinced the collision was deliberate.
“We were told that it is not unusual for women with bare legs (to be harassed) because it is considered to be controversial clothing,” she said.
The federation’s director of sports Hans Falk said they had been advised not to report the case to the police while still in Qatar.
“We were told that we would not then be allowed out of the country. We thought it was best that Susanne came home,” he told TV2.
“I am convinced that it was a deliberate action by the policeman who drove right into Susanne,” he said.
“I cannot say for sure, but there were no skid marks, and he showed no empathy.
“Instead he lit a cigarette and talked on the phone oblivious to the girl who was lying on the ground and screaming.”
The UCI told TV2 that the incident was reported by the Worlds organising committee to the “public authorities” in Qatar. However, the Qatari authorities did not reply to queries from the TV station.
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