December 16, 2015
SAN JOSE (AFP) - A taxi driver struck three lead cyclists -- two of them German -- competing in a Costa Rica road race that had just started out from the capital San Jose, authorities said.
None of the riders was seriously hurt in Monday's mishap.
Video shot by spectators showed the taxi pulling out from the curb after police cars with sirens blaring swept ahead of the 100-strong pack taking part in the first stage of the Vuelta a Costa Rica.
The taxi then suddenly swung left across the path of the cyclists, causing the riders at the front to collide with it and sending them tumbling to the asphalt.
One of those hurt, German rider Jan-Niklas Junguer, suffered lesions but was able to continue the race, said a local traffic police chief, Eddy Brenes.
The accident was referred to prosecutors for investigation. The taxi driver, who denied he had done anything wrong, was not hurt.
The Vuelta a Costa Rica is an 11-stage race across the Central American country, with the final stage taking place on Christmas Day. The event is in its 51st year and is part of the UCI America Tour.
