Safety concerns raised after teen dies in crash during Big White mountain bike race

Questions about safety and the oversight of downhill mountain bike racing are being raised in the wake of a teen’s death during a B.C. Cup race at Big White last weekend.

In an Instagram post, one of the race winners Liam Fillinger called on Cycling B.C. and the international organization that holds the mountain bike world cup to re-evaluate the safety of tracks “with racers in mind.”

He said “serious hazards” outside the marked race course can cause injuries when riders crash outside the tape.

“This type of thing should not be happening at a downhill race,” he said in the post. “It is a tragedy and there are really no words to describe the feeling.”

CBC News reported the teen who died left the course on a sharp corner and crashed into a creek bed.