British Cycling has "called on the government to urgently improve safety measures" for cyclists on its "increasingly crowded roads" after two of U.K.'s most prominent names in the sport were involved in separate traffic accidents within 12 hours of each other, according to Brendan Gallagher of the London TELEGRAPH. Tour de France winner Bradley Wiggins was released from the hospital Thursday after breaking a rib and finger in a collision with a car close to his Lancashire home Wednesday night. Meanwhile, Great Britain track coach Shane Sutton was involved in a separate incident Thursday morning on the A6 near Levenshulme in Manchester. Sutton suffered "severe bruising and bleeding on the brain" even though he was wearing a helmet and is "expected to spend the next couple days in the hospital." British Cycling issued a statement Thursday that read, "Cycling is not an intrinsically dangerous activity but there is much more to be done to improve conditions for cyclists on the roads. British Cycling is calling on the government to put cycling at the heart of transport policy to ensure that cycle safety is built into the design of all new roads, junctions and transport projects, rather than being an afterthought" (TELEGRAPH, 11/8).
A PLEA FOR SAFETY: In London, Jonathan McEvoy reported that British Cycling Dir Martin Gibbs believes that the government "should be doing more to prevent such incidents." Gibbs said: "These incidents do remind you that we've got a long way to go. We need to look to our cousins abroad and Copenhagen and see what they've done" (DAILY MAIL, 11/8). Cycling charity Sustrans member Joe Williams said, "This collision shines a light on the increasing number of cyclists being killed or seriously injured on Britain's roads (LONDON TIMES, 11/8).
