Straubing to Passau

June 18th
101km (557m vertical)

Niel, who at 81 is the oldest rider on the tour, was hit by a car today and taken to hospital by ambulance. First reports back are that he fractured his pelvis and required surgery to stop some internal bleeding. Not sure if the injuries are life threatening, but he will certainly be in hospital for some time and his tour is definitely over.

Neil had taken the truck for the first have of today's ride, and was cycling alone through a small town when he was hit. He was less than 20km from camp. We had stopped at a cafe for an Apfel-Schorle (carbonated apple juice) and slice of cheesecake. An overcast day had suddenly given way to bright sunshine, and we were set to enjoy our last few km into camp. As we rode through the town, we saw one of the tour vans with a few police officers at the side of the road. Jos, one of the other riders, said that he's just seen Neil taken away in an ambulance. Apparently a tractor was towing a large trailer, and its the trailer that knocked Neil off his bike and then ran him over. Niel was alert but in a lot of pain as he left.

I suppose we'll learn more in the coming days. I certainly hope that Neil recovers quickly. He was a very friendly, soft-spoken man with a great sense of humor and a constant smile. Fingers crossed.

Walked into Passau before dinner to see the town. There is a gigantic church with an ornate painted ceiling and the world's largest organ. The pipes were certainty big, but didn't seem that much bigger than other large organs I'd seen. The whole place was just beautiful though.

Its raining as I sit in my tent and write this on my laptop.