Cyclist Charged And Thrown By Bull During Off-Road Race
on Feb 16, 2022
Racing a bicycle has the potential to be dangerous, but perhaps not for the reason you might think. Just ask Tony Inderbitzin, a cyclist who was charged by an angry bull while competing on an 80-mile off-road course in California.
“I am extremely sore,” Inderbitzin told FOX 26. “I’ve never been this sore. Initially, right after the attack, my neck was killing me. That was the focal point of the soreness, now it’s the lower back.”
The race, called the Bianchi Rock Cobbler, is an 80-mile off-road bicycle race that is considered extremely challenging due “major changes in the surface of the route” and an elevation gain of about 6500 feet.
Video captured of the incident shows Inderbitzen approaching the bull that had its back turned initially.
“I was coming through a section that was kind of a drainage area. You’re constantly crossing sandy sections. I was coming off of kind of a long sand section, so I was carrying some speed and there was a slight incline.”
Inderbitzen said that while he noticed there was an animal near the path, he assumed it was a cow…not a bull, and planned to just ride by it.
“I didn’t think much about there being a cow there, and just thought it was one cow versus a dozen that I might ride through any one grouping on any day. I kept going, and as I got 10-15 yards from him, he turned…because he had his back to me. He turned, squared up, and I had maybe a second to brace myself or do anything,” Tony said.
Inderbitzen was one of three riders who were attacked by the bull, and thankfully no one was seriously injured. Sam Ames, the creator of the Rock Cobbler, issued a statement about the incidents saying:
For the record, while we love our shenanigans at the event, this was not planned, we don’t condone riding at or near bulls. In nine years we have passed countless cows and bulls. All riders involved are safe, unharmed if you can believe it and (2) of the (3) finished the ride and toasted beers. Rider safety is a top priorityso while this is able to get some laughs, thankfully, we will review or modify our route as needed for next year.
Inderbitzin had hoped to finish the race, but those who witnessed the bull charging him encouraged him not to finish and instead get some rest.
“Some other riders that had just passed and were behind me, they saw it all and came up. They were really concerned. I was trying to answer questions, am I okay, can they help – but I could hardly breathe, the wind was knocked out of me.”
Watch a clip of the bull attack in the video below.
