Bauke Mollema of the Netherlands has been attacked twice by seagulls in Australia - out training and in TT action - and now South African Hayley Preen has had her own experience with a magpie while out training in Wollongong.
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The Torelli-Cayman Islands-Scimitar rider, who is set to compete in the elite women's road race in Australia, captured her attack on video. The bird swoops repeatedly at her and while she found it amusing, it was a pretty determined effort by the magpie.
"Hopefully I make it to the start line tomorrow with these magpie attacks," she said while sharing the video via Twitter.
Bird attacks are not unheard of, of course, with some Irish riders even experiencing them while training on home roads. James Curry of Banbridge CC was targeted by a buzzard, a bird of prey, a few years ago when the animal sank its talons into his helmet in an incident that hit the newspapers.
The incidents are a lot more common in Australia, with a website dedicated to recording magpie attacks having recorded 1,500 this year alone. As well as Mollema and Preen, Vuelta winner and Worlds TT bronze medal winner Remco Evenepoel said he was followed by magpies and felt "terrified" while on his bike in Australia.
Australian rider Grace Brown, who won silver in the Worlds TT, and British rider Elynor Backstedt also reported being attacked by birds while cycling in Australia.
