Team Sky apologise after official coach is filmed nearly running cyclist off the road

Andy Rolfe, a rider from Rhosllanerchrugog, near Wrexham, published the 30 second video clip to Twitter of the bus flying past him on his bike

Samuel Stevens
Thursday 08 September 2016 13:14 BST
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Sky Team nearly clip cyclist

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Team Sky have apologised after “unacceptable” footage emerged on social media of their official coach overtaking a cyclist on a narrow country road in Wales.

Andy Rolfe, a rider from Rhosllanerchrugog, near Wrexham, published the 30 second video clip to Twitter of the bus flying past him on his bike, scarcely avoiding a collision with an industrial vehicle on the other side of the road.

“What is shown in the video is unacceptable and we are sorry,” the official Team Sky Twitter account said. “We've already spoken to the driver and we'll be discussing this with him again in more detail. We will also be speaking to all staff and reminding them of their responsibilities.”

The video attracted over 600 retweets in just two hours. As Rolfe cycled down the road, the coach veered past him before merging back into the correct lane with seconds to spare before a potential collision with an oncoming white tanker lorry.

A Team Sky car then also passed the cyclist, by a much wider margin, as Rolfe cried “idiot” before composing himself and continuing his journey. It has been reported that the coach was carrying riders and staff participating in the Tour of Britain.

The British World Tour team added: “Encouraging people to get out and on their bikes is a huge part of what we stand for as a team.

“We are a team of cyclists and we all know how important it is for us as a team to set an example when it comes to ensuring cyclists are able to use the roads safely.”

Watch the footage of the near-miss above.

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