The speed at which this entire group is taken out by an oncoming car going down a hill is sobering.
The scenes in the clip below really reveal just how fast things can go badly wrong on the open road.
And while this group of riders in the US were taken out after hitting an oncoming car descending a climb, they have all since made full recoveries.
Anyone thinking of going training without wearing a helmet might do well to watch just how quick riders and bikes were senting flying through the air in a split second in this clip, with a pair of handlebars floating across the screen at one point.
The clip was recorded by Ethan Fann and he posted it online saying the incident had happened almost a year ago but was only being published now that he knew everyone involved had recovered and that damages for the broken bikes had been paid by the driver's insurer.
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Read Ethan Fann's first-hand account of the incident just below this video.
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Ethan Fann writes of the crash...
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The incident occurred near Jamestown, California, on a training ride for the UC Merced Cycling Team. Pictured in the video is Twist Road, a popular climb/descent for cyclists because of the switchbacks (Twist, get it?) found near the bottom.
Unfortunately, the twists that make it fun also cause blind corners and then it was just a matter of "wrong place wrong time".
Fortunately for us the driver stopped and help us make the necessary calls to emergency services which were then able to get to us within a couple of minutes.
The first rider hit endured the majority of the injuries and had to be airlifted to a nearby hospital, but was miraculously limited to a concussion and leg/knee/hand fractures which he has then since fully recovered from.
His Giro Air Attack helmet (I feel the need to specifically call out the helmet brand) is what saved his life. If you look closely you can actually see the helmet disintegrate when hitting the window of the van.
The second miracle is how he landed on top of his brother which prevented his unprotected head from hitting the asphalt.
The rider on the left sustained the second greatest degree of injuries, but was still limited to an ER visit and some stitches. Myself and the other ride only sustained bruising and moderate road rash.
With the help of the video police were able to determine that the van was at fault for being on our side of the road, but I still learned the lesson that I should be incredibly careful when outriding my line of sight.
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