Report on the incident on Saturday

Saturday, 31 October 2009: Started out as a beautifull wind free cycling morning with a group of +- 20 to 30 Wanna B cyclists heading towards Bottelary and Polkedraai. There we were on Old Main Road, 2 abreast and in the yellow line opposite Croydon Olive Estate doing +- 34km/h when a loan cyclist approached on the wrong side of the road. Michel and I were in front chatting and in hindsight reacted too late as it appeared that the cyclist was not going to give us much room to go past him. He decided rather late( that is if he actually new we were there??) to move out into the road facing the oncoming traffic which seemed ok to us as we could not see what cars were approaching from behind. From what I can gather +- halfway past the group he somehow ended up in the middle of us resulting in carnage, needless to say he sailed through without a scatch and carried on going. Most of those who went down landed on the hard ground just off the tarred surface. Malan Wykerd and Deon van Zijl came off worst with Malan sustaining a dislocation and Deon a fractured wrist + damage to his rear wheel. With no place to go Malan went over Deon's rear wheel and then over his handle bars. Once it was ascertained that the injuries were not life threatening most of the group continued whilst a few including myself, Michel, Charles, Henri, Volki, and others remained till help in the form of wives and "cycling mechanics" arrived to collect the wounded.
We wish Deon and Malan (who still wants to do the DC) a speedy recovery, we look forward to seeing you back with us shortly.
Although the oncoming (slightly inebriated) cyclist was totally in the wrong by approaching us on the wrong side of the road, I do feel that this accident could perhaps have been prevented if we had been more vigilant and our reaction time in the front had been quicker (front riders to be more aware of what is happening ahead of them), cyclists behind us did not hear the shout to be carefull of the cyclist approaching (shout loader and gesture), cyclists in the bunch need to ensure that should this happen again the cyclist/pedestrian does not end up in the middle of the bunch.

Your fellow cyclist
Anton de Freitas