A cyclist was violently tossed off his bike and then rammed by an angry bull during the Rock Cobbler off-road 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 charged him, knocked him off his bike and then rammed him, tossing him into the air. An 12-second video captured the confrontation.
“I am extremely sore,” Inderbitzen told FOX26 News. “I’ve never been this sore. Initially, right after the attack, my neck was killing me. That was the focal point of the soreness, now it’s the lower back.”
Inderbitzen had ridden past cows before while off-roading and didn’t give the animal much thought, as he explained to FOX26 News.
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“I was coming through a section that was kind of a drainage area,” he told the station. “You’re constantly crossing sandy sections. I was coming off of kind of a long sand section, so I was carrying some speed and there was a slight incline.
“I didn’t think much about there being a cow there, and just thought it was one cow versus a dozen that I might ride through any one grouping on any day. I kept going, and as I got 10-15 yards from him, he turned – because he had his back to me. He turned, squared up, and I had maybe a second to brace myself or do anything.
“It’s a case of mistaken identity from a cow to a bull.”
A Twitter video from a different angle shows other riders steering clear.
Multiple cyclists were charged by a bull at the Rock Cobbler event in California today. As far as I know no serious injuries but absolutely terrifying!! pic.twitter.com/PnBxoOlKmI
— Remko Rinkema (@RemkoRinkema) February 13, 2022
Inderbitzen wanted to finish the race but was talked out of it by those who witnessed the attack. Inderbitzen told the Cowboy State Daily that the bull had attacked four cyclists in all, though race creator Sam Ames indicated the number was three.
Ames told FOX26 News the incident will prompt a route change in future races.
“For the record, while we love our shenanigans at the event, this was not planned, we don’t condone riding at 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 finished the ride and toasted beers. Rider safety is a top priority, so while this is able to get some laughs, thankfully, we will review or modify our route as needed for next year.”