When cyclists signed up for this year’s Rock Cobbler bike race in California, they knew what they were getting into: “challenging routes with lots of dirt”, steep climbs, 5,500 ft-6,500 ft (1,524-1,980 m) of elevation gain, and temperatures of 84 degrees F (28.8 C). What they didn’t know was that they’ll also have run-ins with an angry bull on the trail.
The Rock Cobbler is an annual cycling event described by its organizer as a "stupidly hard ride bordering on a race." It takes place in Bakersfield, California, and it boasts of delivering everything from MTB level stuff to easy gravel fun. This year’s edition took place on both Friday and Saturday and took participants by surprise as they end up having a more adventurous and adrenaline-pumping ride than expected.
Several riders had unfortunate encounters with an irritated, territorial bull that wasn’t so pleased with visitors and turned the whole event into a spontaneous bullfighting event. There’s even footage on the internet with a cyclist being taken down by the raging animal, not once, but twice.
Instead of staying with the rest of the riders on the dirt road, this guy chose a slightly different route, one that got him face to face with the bad-tempered bull. The encounter was not a friendly one, as the animal knocked him off his bike and flipped him twice. Another racer commented on YouTube that he saw the rider just after he’d been hit and was quite shaken up. Other participants had run-ins with the bulls as well.
Fortunately, though, no one was severely injured. The victim in the video reported for the Cowboy State Daily that he’s sore all over, with his neck hurting the most, but his condition hasn’t worsened after the day of the incident, which is a relief.
If you have the stomach for it, you can see the whole thing in the videos below.
Cristina’s always found writing more comfortable to do than speaking, which is why she chose print over broadcast media in college. When she’s not typing, she also loves riding non-motorized two-wheelers, going on hikes with her dog, and rocking her electric guitars. Full profile
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