A woman who was clipped by a Lamborghini pace car during the Global Relay Gastown Grand Prix in Vancouver Wednesday suffered only minor injuries, organizers say.
Bystander video shows the woman, race official Gloria Bordon, running on the track when the Lamborghini zips by and sends her flying to the pavement.
The accident, which took place near the finish line, broke off the luxury car’s passenger-side mirror. Riders finished the annual criterium race while Bordon was tended to by paramedics and taken away on a stretcher.
Grand Prix director Mark Ernsting said organizers will investigate what happened and determine whether any changes are needed.
“It’s a really unfortunate situation and we never want to see anybody get hurt,” Ernsting said. “We wish her a good recovery and we’ll definitely be checking with her shortly.”
Bordon was taken to hospital but has since been released.
Ernsting couldn’t confirm what role she plays in the Grand Prix, but it appears she was tasked with organizing photoraphers at the finish line.
The single-day event consists of a 60-kilometre men’s race and 42-kilometre women’s race. Competitors ride at speeds of about 60 kilometres per hour, which is roughly how fast the pace car would have been going.
Cycling Canada said it’s used pace cars at races for at least five years, and this is the first incident it’s aware of.
