Cycling celeb injured riding bike into dead buffalo

SUPERCYCLING presenter and former professional cyclist Andrew Mclean was hospitalised after colliding with a buffalo near the Cradle of Humankind yesterday morning.

News of a roaming buffalo spread when a caller to Radio 702’s Early Breakfast Show‚ who identified himself as Ray‚ said it was running loose in Fourways just after 5am.

Sightings were soon being posted on Twitter with Richard van Zyl (@ElevationIdeas) saying: “Road Closed‚ near Dainfern. Looks like a buffalo was struck by a car took out cyclists too. EMS on scene”.

Mclean’s wife Ali later tweeted pictures of a dead buffalo and Andrew’s ruined bicycle‚ saying: “In case you don’t believe it. Andrew going in for X-rays now.”

She later posted X-rays showing her husband’s injuries‚ and said the accident occurred while Andrew and the group he was with were “descending Timber Hill on way out to [the] Cradle”.

Ali Mclean later told RDM News Wire that‚ according to Andrew‚ there was no car involved and the “buffalo was definitely dead when he hit it”.

“The odd thing is that it was boiling hot‚” said Ali. “It was sweaty and had steam rising from it.”

She described as “rubbish” reports that the buffalo’s head “had a massive injury and all four legs were broken”.

She also said that the tail was intact at the scene of the accident‚ although some reports said it was missing when it was arrived at the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) after being removed.

Andrew was expected to be operated on last night. The other two riders to collide with the animal sustained abrasions‚ Ali said‚ and were at home.