The Tour de France comes to London
This is what happens when one of these comes into conflict with one of these. The bigger one wins.
I was a marshal in the LCC ride to the Tour de France prologue ride when my bike got mashed by a duck. So did both my cameras and all my lenses. Yes, I was on the bike at the time. I'm OK, sort of. Photos may become difficult soon. More details at some stage, not now. No photos of the Tour de France prologue, sorry.
posted by Ham at 23:32 --
Comments here: 15
Comments on "The Tour de France comes to London"
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post a commentI don't like the sound of that you are "OK, sort of." The rest can be replaced, but you can't Ham. Hoping to hear better news, when you are able.
Hope you're really ok, Ham. Sorry to hear this - know you must have been looking forward to the day.
Ham! Really sorry to hear this...hope you are OK.
ham!! am really really sorry about this,hoping to hear from u soon !!
Let me add my good wishes. Hope you are OK, Ham. And, because I can imagine how much they mean to you, your bike and camera will be restored. Just one question: why a duck? :)
Hey Ham I'm really sorry to hear what happened! I hope you are more than sort of ok and can only guess at what you went and are going through. The loss of your cameras must feel like one of your senses has been shorted out - I understand completely - hope you got the number of that duck! Take care.
Do hope you're recovering OK - very glad we've still got Ham and not Spam! And hope you'll be able to replace all those camera bits. Did the story make the papers?
Thanks all, for the messages.
Overall, I'm shaken not stirred. It was actually the most frightening experience I've ever had. I got off lucky without any broken bones. The experience was unreal. The driver of the duck (who I could see, and was stopped) drove off straight into me. I didn't quite get out the way and I was knocked down, still on the bike and 20 tons of military vehicle ran over my rear wheel including pannier and cameras missing the me bits by inches.
The police were on the scene and as far as I am concened the driver was 100% at fault.
Helen, the DUKW amphibious landing craft used for London tours on and off the river are known as ducks.
Oh My God Ham, I'm so happy nothing - serious - happened to you in the end.
I surely would like to have heard from the community that you died while trying to take photos...
Besides, this is all the Frenches' fault, isnt?? Damned Tour de France !
Please be careful.
Eric, I have to say that the TDF in London was fantastic. Even if I missed most of it.
Shaken not stirred - that's good news. You have an international band of supporters breathing sighs of relief. Relax and return soon.
-andy
Not a regular comment leaver on your blog although I do enjoy it very much and am a regular 'watcher'. Wanted to say I am sorry about your accident and glad that you are OK. I do hope that your bike / camera equipment can be replaced (at the cost of the at fault duck driver).
I avoided a collision with the DUKW vehicle on April 13 2007. I wrote
to LCC & enquir...@londonducktours.co.uk, but nobody replied back.
The problem in my case was the limited visibility the driver had from
his LEFT handside driving position, plus he didn't bother to check the
road at all ! I had full priority and the vehicle just kept driving
into a bus lane. DUKWs are WWII american built, designed by Sparkman &
Stephens. Check wiki-pedia.
These vehicles make big bucks for the touring company, but I doubt if
they are road worthy according to current UK road safety regulations.
The vehicle looks to me like a huge mince machine, when it comes to
road safety towards pedestrians and bicycles.
Do you wonder why modern cars should have round edges, plastic shock
absorbing fenders etc? Do you wonder why winches & bull bars cannot be
fitted arbitrarily to 4x4 vehicles anymore? Road safety.
If you can prove that the DUKW is NOT road safe and perhaps should NOT
be on the road anyway, I think you will not need any witness....
Let us know more details, if possible
What rotten luck, Ham. I know how bicycle accidents can damage more than one bit of you and hope you are OK.
The bike doesn't look too bad considering the weight of the vehicle and the size of the tyres. I've been on one in Dubai & you don't argue with it.
Hope you're back in the saddle soon and I'd keep to the ducks in Hyde Park if I were you