Cyclists in Rio are crashing and breaking their bikes on bumpy cobblestone roads
Olympic road cycling is a six-hour event taking athletes on a scenic tour of Rio this year — and it also includes a super bumpy ride on a one-mile stretch of cobblestone road. The bumps were so bad Saturday morning that multiple cyclists had to stop and repair their bikes after the chains popped off, while Ahmet Orken of Turkey took a nasty fall.
"I'm surprised someone signed off on a course this hard," said New Zealand cyclist George Bennett. "It's hectic, it's dangerous. There are slippery roads, patches of oil, difficult corners. It could send you home early."
Watch an Iranian cyclist in the road race crash on what looks like smooth pavement in the tweet below.
Ouch. Bike Crash. #RioOlympics2016 #cycling #crash pic.twitter.com/THuABSw0f5
— Rak (@RakRants) August 6, 2016