He didn't see this rope left tied across the road and was thrown over the handlebars, damaging body and bike.
An Irish club rider was lucky to walk away from a nasty incident in Co Clare during which a rope tied across the road sent him over his handlebars and crashing to the ground.
Paul Edson, from West Clare CC, didn't see the rope stretched across the road at a remote junction on a solo spin today, with the low sun doing little to aid his visibility.
It meant he rode straight into it and was thrown over the handlebars. Left with a damaged bike, he was forced to walk the short distance up the road to a friend’s house to get help.
He said the incident could have been worse but for his slowing down on entering the junction where the rope had been tied by a farmer to prevent cattle straying as they were being moved.
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It appeared the farmer had tied the rope and then forgotten to take it down again as he moved off with the animals, only for Edson to ride straight into it.
“In 20 years of cycling in west Clare I never came across that before, it was a total surprise,” he told stickybottle.
“I just went straight over the handlebars. Luckily it was on junction so I had slowed a little and was checking for traffic.
“There was nobody nearby or any warnings. I saw two farmers far off in the fields moving cattle and about five minutes later they came along the road.
“But they wouldn't acknowledge any responsibility for the rope. I took it down and luckily I have friends who live down the road who I walked down to. I had broken my seat post and was a bit bruised.”
Paul Edson, leading, was bruised and shaken and left with a broken bike. But thankfully he has no serious injuries.
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