Brutal moment triathlete slams her own teammate face-first into a barrier – but the downed cyclist shocks fans with her very surprising reaction
- Nicole van der Kaay taken out by teammate
- Triathlete walked away without serious injuries
- Was cleared of concussion and
New Zealand triathlete Nicole van der Kaay was lucky to walk away from a shocking bike accident caused by her teammate at the Super League Triathlon in Toulouse on Sunday.
The Kiwi Olympian was sent flying from her bike when her teammate, Italian rider Alice Betto, veered into her path and forced her into a barrier.
Fortunately, Van der Kaay wasn’t seriously injured during the incident and even attempted to keep competing – but problems with her bike caused her to drop out of the race.
She took to social media after the race to update fans and loved ones about the heart-stopping crash.
‘My race ended early, but no broken bones, only heart,’ she wrote.
Nicole van der Kaay was lucky to avoid serious injury when she was shunted into the barriers during the race in Toulouse, France
The Kiwi (pictured) was very forgiving of her teammate after the crash – but fans refused to let Alice Betto off the hook
‘This video does not show it all. This was an accident, unfortunately crashes happen in races.
‘We pick ourselves up, lick our wounds and prepare for the next race. Mistakes happen, be kind.’
Fans were not so forgiving of Van der Kaay’s teammate, insisting that the Italian rider deliberately forced her into the barrier.
‘How is that not intentional?’ wrote one user.
‘No, Nicole this was definitely a deliberate act to take your line! This cyclist should’ve been disqualified for causing this accident … if you look closely they altered their direction to block your way through!’ said another.
‘This is 100% intentional f**k the kindness lmfao,’ said another.
Van der Kaay was cleared of concussion after the race and insisted that the crash was just an unfortunate accident
Van der Kaay later posted on Instagram that she had been cleared of concussion and her front teeth were undamaged. She was also standing by her teammate Betto.
‘Hey everyone in the comments this was an accident, which unfortunately happens in racing,’ she wrote.
‘Alice apologised and is deeply sorry. I’m fine also, no broken bones!’
British triathlete Kate Waugh went on to win the race, with France’s Leonie Periault coming in second and Betto finishing sixth.
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