Have an update to this story per yesterday's "Bolton Evening News" as supplied to me by one of my sisters who lives down there.
On Page Two - Journalist Paul Keaveney tells us that the crash rider is still critically ill in hospital with severe head injuries (and yes --- he was wearing a helmet)
This story has worryingly similarities to the recent Rhyl tragedy and is a severe broken promise by this government who, after the M11 stranding PROMISED us that ALL ROADS WOULD BE GRITTED 
Quote:
A row has erupted after a crash involving
thirty cyclists left a man fighting for his life.
The accident involved members of the Horwich based Lancashire Road Club at Cholrey New Road, Scholes Bank.
John Martindale (41) was airlifted to the Royal Preston (
where one of my pals battled the odds for him and then transferred him back to Hope in Salford to be nearer his family)
"Mr Martindale fractured his skull when the cyclists
skidded on black ice mid- last Saturday morningThe cycling club claims Bolton Council had not gritted the road. But the Council claims the road was gritted - and said the accident happened across the boundary in Chorley (LanCASH£re)
Cllr Hayes (excutive member for Bolton's environmental services) claims that the road was gritted on Friday evening.
He said "I can confrim the road was gritted on Friday night and it was definitely done right the way along to the Bolton boundary"
Another spokesman says:
"Based on a weather report from the Met Office, an instruction to grit was given and completed prior to midnight.
"We can confirm that the council's approved gritting routes do include Chorley New Road, Horwich to just beyond the boundary at the River Douglas"
Microclimate as IG is currently bringing to our attention?
Quote:
The River Douglas was the site of this accident. Bolton Council's spokesman said the Council is committed to providing an efficient winter maintenance service but did say that it would be inappropriate to comment further until investigations into the incident were complete.
Members of the Lancashire Road Club say the road was not gritted and they believe they were still on the Bolton side of the County line when they skidded.
John Bellamy (club member) says "There was no grit on that road. I know there was no grit ... you felt it."
Craig Batterbsy was injured in the incident along with his riding fellow Chris Greensdale who was the first to go down in the incident. Both were taken to the Royal Bolton with facial injuries and broken teeth. Mr Battersby also broke a finger in the incident.
Mr Battersby also told the "B.E.N"
"It was definitely not gritted - and there are 30 of us to back this up. We are all experienced cyclists and we can spot road conditions faster than average person."
Hmmmm...... and what if a
car had lost control on the 40 mph (I think from memory) stretch... This would have been far worse than the Welsh tragedy.... and too many cyclists would be blaming the poor driver for this again....and failing to bear in mind that any person invilved in any tragic outcome is certainly as traumatised for life as the bereaved - and I do not have much patience for such self centredness.
I would also wonder about the cycling standard of the group despite their wealth of experience - how fast were they riding at the time... were they giving enough space in the bunch? This is a normal 40 mph road (30 mph in the built ups) which links the A6 at Chorley to Bolton - and 30 cyclists would be spread in twos surely along the route... how did
30 topple together in a pile up?
More to the point - how come this did not make "Look North West" and the National headlines?
Sorry all cyclists ... I ride too - so don't get lycra into lathers - tis but questions one has to ask to make some sense of this.
Hard questions to answer certainly does not constitute "anti-cycling" or "blaming cyclists for their accidents".
If this road was NOT gritted or had washed away ..then it is another incident like Rhyl....and we need some answers on this one - as it endangers ALL road users BADLY! We need to look at these two incidents closely and LEARN from them if we are to prevent further tragedies on our roads through black ice and grit failures.
Mr Martindale remains in a critical but now stable condition in Hope Hospital and I am sure all here wish him a speedy and full recovery.
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or perhaps the A673 where it meets the A6 at Adlington? Perhaps PeterE or anyone down in the 'burbs of Manchester would know this better? 
- this is a 
