Less than 24 hours after Bradley Wiggins was knocked off his bike and hospitalised with rib and hand injuries, British Cycling’s head coach Shane Sutton has been involved in an accident while cycling.
He has suffered a concussion as a result and has been taken to hospital, where he will remain for immediate future.
“British Cycling has confirmed that Shane Sutton, Head Coach for the GB Cycling Team, was involved in an incident this morning on the A6 near Levenshulme in Manchester,” said a spokesperson for British Cycling. “Shane was taken into hospital where it was identified he has suffered bruising and bleeding on the brain. Shane was wearing a helmet. He is set to undergo more tests, and is likely to stay in hospital for the next few days.”
Details are scarce at present but British Cycling has confirmed that a car was involved in the accident.
Sutton has worked closely with Wiggins during his career and is seen as something of a father figure. British Cycling stressed that the situation is unusual rather than indicative of the level of risk, thus reassuring others who are using the roads.
“It is extremely rare that our riders and coaches are hurt while out cycling on the road, even rarer that two incidents should occur in a short space of time. We wish Shane and Bradley a speedy recovery.”
It has taken the opportunity to argue for a rethink by the government in terms of cycling, saying that more can be done to improve safety.
“Cycling is not an intrinsically dangerous activity but there is much more to be done to improve conditions for cyclists on the roads. British Cycling is calling on the government to put cycling at the heart of transport policy to ensure that cycle safety is built into the design of all new roads, junctions and transport projects, rather than being an afterthought.”
As for Wiggins, it is not thought that his preparation for the 2013 will be seriously affected by his crash. His Sky team is expected to issue more details today about his condition, but it is understood he was released from hospital today.