Riders gather at the top before a timed section at the Enduro World Series opener(Image credit: Enduro World Series)
Racers at the Enduro World Series in Val d'Allos, France(Image credit: Matt Wragg)
Great views at Crested Butte BME(Image credit: Brandon Ontiveros)
Macky Franklin finishes up Crested Butte stage 5(Image credit: Syd Schulz)
Round five of this year’s Enduro World Series in Crested Butte, Colorado, was cancelled Saturday following the death of an amateur racer. This is the first fatality for the three-year-old race series.
The racer was identified as William Dean Olsen, 40, of Edwards, Colorado.
According to a press release issued by the Mt. Crested Butte Police Department, the fatal crash occurred at 11:50 a.m. during stage 3, the first stage of Saturday’s race, on Trail 400 near the Block and Tackle trail. The racer died on the scene of his injuries.
“Two interval riders following the victim immediately began CPR and continued for approximately thirty minutes with race personnel arriving at the scene and continuing CPR for a minimum of thirty minutes longer. A paramedic, transported by Care Flight helicopter, arrived on the scene and pronounced the rider deceased,” the press release read.
“We’re still waiting on the coroner’s report, but early reports suggest that he suffered a chest injury on the lower half of the course,” said Enduro World Series director Chris Ball.
The three-day event, which was also a stop on Colorado’s Big Mountain Enduro series, saw more than 250 professional and amateur racers take on a planned eight-stage format.
Event organizers halted the race following the accident and cancelled Sunday’s stages. Points from stages 1 and 2 will not be counted toward overall series standings.
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“Out of respect for Will we are going to cancel this round. I think a rider’s life is far more important than points. From what I understand, we have the full support of riders in that decision as well,” Ball said.
The sixth round of the Enduro World Series will take place Sunday, August 9, in Whistler, British Columbia, at Crankworx.
