One individual passed away during a downhill mountain biking competition in Canada this weekend. According to the Vancouver Sun, the death occurred during the BC Cup Downhill Series’ opening race at Big White.
“Someone did succumb to their injuries during a mountain bike crash this past weekend at Big White. As the incident is not criminal in nature, we’re diverting all requests to the B.C. Coroners Service.” – Kelowna RCMP Cpl. Michael Gauthier
Information related to the rider will not be released by the coroners service due to privacy concerns. Big White Ski Resor vice president Michael Ballingall says that, though the race did take place on the resort, the event was hosted and organized by Cycling BC. As such, as reported by The Canadian Press, resort officials have not yet been debriefed on the incident.
“Our first attention is to the family and the individuals that were at the event and involved in the event, and then it’s to understand what actually happened. The coroner will probably have the best information on that, but that takes time.” – Michael Ballingall
Big White CEO Peter Plimmer has stated that any further information will come from Cycling BC, though the organization is yet to release any sort of statement in relation to the incident. The next race in the BC Cup Downhill Series is set to take place between July 7-9.
Our thoughts go out to the family, friends, and fellow riders of the deceased.
Image Credit: Bike Big White via Facebook
Featured Image Credit: Cycling BC via Facebook