A cyclist was violently thrown by his bike and then hit by an angry bull during the Rock Cobbler offroad bike race in Bakersfield on Saturday.
Tony Inderbitzen made the regrettable decision to try to pass a bull on the trail instead of giving the animal a wide berth, as other riders apparently did, and he paid a painful price.
The bull attacked him, knocked him off the bike and then hit him, throwing him up in the air. A 12-second video captured the confrontation.
“I’m extremely sore,” Inderbitzen told FOX26 News. “I’ve never been so sore. To begin with, right after the attack, my neck killed me. It was the focal point of the soreness, now it’s the lower back.”
The Inderbitzen had previously driven past cows while driving off-road, and did not think about the animal, as he explained to FOX26 News.
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“I came through a section that was a kind of drainage area,” he told the station. “You cross sandy sections all the time. I came out of a kind of long sand section so I had some speed and there was a slight increase.
“I did not think so much that there was a cow there and I just thought it was a cow against a dozen that I could ride through a group on any given day. I kept going and when I came 10-15 meters from him, he turned – for he had his back to me.He turned around, turned up, and I might have a second to prepare or do something.
“It’s a case of false identity from a cow to a bull.”
ONE Twitter video from another angle shows other riders steer free.
Inderbitzen wanted to finish the race, but was spoken of by those who saw the attack. Inderbitzen told the Cowboy State Daily that the bull had attacked four cyclists in total, even though race creator Sam Ames indicated the number was three.
Ames told FOX26 News that the incident will result in a route change in future races.
“For the record, even though we love our quarrels at the event, this was not planned, we do not tolerate riding by or near bulls,” Ames said. “In nine years we have passed countless cows and bulls. All riders involved are safe, unharmed, if you can believe it, and two of the three completed the ride and roasted beer. Equestrian safety is a top priority, so while this is able to get some laughs, we will happily review or change our route as needed for next year. “