A bicyclist riding for a four-man Spanish relay team at the Race Across America is recovering on Thursday after being struck by a vehicle on a Kansas road.
News reports say the driver was distracted by something in the car about 6:45 a.m. Wednesday and drifted onto the shoulder where Spain's Diego Ballesteros, left, was riding his bicycle.
The collision happened on U.S. 254 near El Dorado. Ballesteros was airlifted to Wesley Medical Center in Wichita, Kansas, where his condition was upgraded to serious condition late Wednesday.
Ballesteros is somewhat of a bicycle ambassador in his home country of Spain. In 2008, he bicycled nearly 8,000 miles across 14 countries from a sports event in Spain — Expo of Zaragoza — to the Beijing Olympics.
He's a member of the COANFI ASPANOA Challenge team, which is racing to raise awareness for children with cancer in their home country. The team has abandoned the race because of the crash and is monitoring Ballesteros's welfare.
We offer our best wishes for Ballesteros's full recovery.
Solo race
Meanwhile, Slovenia's Jure Robic appears to be riding to his 5th RAAM solo victory.
The 45-year-old ultra-endurance cyclist has passed through Ellenboro, West Virginia. That puts his less than 370 miles from the finish line at City Dock in Annapolis, Maryland. He's expected to finish on Friday.
His main rival, Gerhard Gulewicz of Austria, trails by more than 100 miles. Gulewicz, who finished in 3rd in 2008 and 2nd in 2009, was shooting for victory in 2010.
Among the four women still in the race, Barbara Buatois of France is leading on her recumbent. Michele Santilhano leads the women on a standard bike.
See other solo and team cyclists on the 2010 Leaderboard.
Recent Comments