2 days ago
Aidan Worden: Cycling champ died 'doing what he most enjoyed'
A former UK junior cycling champion was "out doing what he enjoyed with his friends" when he died, an inquest has Worden, of New Longton near Preston in Lancashire, was killed in a collision with a car in Darwen on 1 Coroner's Court heard the 18-year-old was riding with his team 360cycling and heading downhill when he collided with a BMW coming in the opposite Rachel Carbery told the court CCTV footage showed his rear wheel lifted up and his foot unclipped from the pedal, causing his bike to stray on to the other side of the road - where the oncoming driver had no chance of avoiding a collision.
The coroner recorded a conclusion that the teenager had died as a result of a road traffic court heard it was a clear day when the former 25 mile time-trial UK junior champion was involved in the collision on Blacksnape Road, Hoddlesden.
PC Carbery said an investigation of the road surface showed no defects or potholes, while analysis of the bike also showed no cyclist died at the scene. "There is nothing to suggest anything other than Aidan was a very experienced and very skilled cyclist," PC Carbery coroner Richard Taylor said: "There is no doubt that Aiden was dedicated and experienced."On 1 February, all he was doing was what he enjoyed with his friends, on a route he had been on before."Something must have happened to get him into that position leading to this terribly awful event."It appears he was trying to get himself into the right position but the timing was against him."
'Bike mad'
In an emotional tribute read out in the court, his family said the former pupil of Hutton Grammer School in Preston was "bike mad from an early age" and "a loving son and brother, who had insight beyond his years". Aidan had previously been a BMX racer competing for Great Britain before switching to road racing where he finished first-placed junior cyclist at the annual Eddie Soens Memorial race last year. "We will never know want he would go on to achieve in cycling professionally and personally," his relatives said.
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