Tassie rider caught in nasty crash

HE was travelling around the velodrome at speeds of more than 60km/h but Josh Duffy knew something “pretty nasty” was about to happen when multiple riders crashed at the start of the final lap of the qualifying heat for the men’s 15km scratch race at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games on Monday, Tasmanian time.

But the Tasmanian almost couldn’t believe his eyes when England’s Matt Walls and his bike went over the rails and into the crowd in a terrifying crash.

Duffy, 22, was involved in the horror crash that forced organisers to abandon the morning session at the Lee Valley velodrome.

After multiple cyclists in front of him crashed, Duffy and New Zealander George Jackson slid up the banking at the velodrome – which forced Walls up and above the railings and into the stands. Duffy told the Mercury he couldn’t believe his eyes when Walls left the velodrome.

“I’ve never seen it happen before, I’ve seen guys hit the fence and ride on the fence a little bit so it was pretty scary because I was right there when it happened and I saw him go over the fence,” he said.

“It was a huge shock to see him just disappear over the fence like that, I’ve never seen it before.

“Everything happened pretty quickly at that stage, you are kind of aware that there is something pretty nasty happening in front of you and then all of a sudden there are guys on the ground and at that speed there is not much you can do to avoid it.”

Walls was treated in the stands for more than 40 minutes and was taken to hospital. Miraculously he had “stitches in his forehead, scrapes and bruises” but no major injuries according to Team England.

Duffy, of Launceston, also escaped any real injury despite hitting the boards at high speed. “It has stiffened up a fair bit overnight but nothing is broken so I’m all right. Plenty of burns and skin off but nothing that won’t heal over time,” he said.