Drama in Buchanan's scratch race

Mar 27th, 10. Rushlee Buchanan stayed out of the carnage in the scratch race final at the UCI World Championships today where the winner of the recent NZ road tour crashed heavily.

Shelley Evans fell heavily in the scratch final ©RoadCycling.co.nz

The 10km scratch race started peacefully with the pace on hold as everyone waited for the first rider to jump ahead.

New Zealand National Champion Buchanan kept a watchful eye at the front of the peloton to ensure she was part of the early action.  Later in the race she was more than happy to miss the day's big action.

With the racing well under way a Danish rider touched wheels high on the banking and crashed down the track with seven laps to go. She slid in front of a large bunch causing a number of riders to fall.

Luckily Buchanan was not involved in the carnage.  She was right behind the Dane up the banking when the accident happened.

While many riders managed to get back up and in the race (riders are allowed one lap out) USA's Shelley Evans wasn't so lucky.  

Evans, who recently won New Zealand's women's road tour, was the worst affected when she rode straight over the top of the Danish rider and flipped over her handlebars.  Evans' bike was split in two.

USA Cycling later issued a statement about Evans saying, "Although the 29 year old did suffer a scary crash, she was not seriously injured and is questionable for scheduled competition in Sunday's points race."

French rider Pascale Jeuland won ahead of Cuba's Yumari Gonzalez Valdivieso and Belinda Goss of Australia, the latter recovered well after being involved in the crash.  Buchanan finished 15th.

Goss explained that even as she was flying through the air she was dead set on getting back in the race.

"As soon as I was up in the air and I knew I was crashing I was just thinking 'I've got to get up, got to get up' as we were nearing the end and you can't get back in after five laps to go and all I could think about was getting on my bike."

Other news of the track today

• Bronze for Kiwi team pursuiters
• Dawkins fastest NZ time ever in kilo

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