On a chilly November evening near the Dutch town of Valkenburg, between Maastricht and Aachen, one of cycling’s brightest stars, Lorena Wiebes, found herself the victim of a hit-and-run. The 26-year-old Dutch sprinter, celebrated for her more than 100 career victories and recent string of triumphs across Europe’s most prestigious races, was knocked off her e-mountain bike by a driver who disappeared into the night. Wiebes, shaken but not seriously injured, shared a photo of her battered bicycle—its rear tyre stripped from the wheel frame—on her Instagram story, a digital testament to both her luck and the dangers cyclists face on the roads.
“I’m also more frustrated if you see how many cyclist get killed by cars,” Wiebes wrote, echoing a sentiment that resonates with riders and families around the world. According to data from 2023, incidents involving cyclists left more than 14,000 people injured and claimed the lives of 87 cyclists in Great Britain alone, as reported by The Road Book almanac. These figures, while sobering, may not even capture the full scope of the problem, as hit-and-run statistics are not consistently reported across the UK.
Wiebes’ ordeal is not an isolated incident. In recent months, other professional cyclists have suffered at the hands of reckless drivers. Belgian cyclocross champion Marion Norbert Riberolle required stitches for a deep leg wound after being hit and later warned drivers to “be careful.” Meanwhile, French rider Pierre Latour, a former Tour de France white jersey winner, saw his career cut short when a driver’s rear-view mirror struck him during training for what was meant to be his final race.
These high-profile accidents underscore a broader crisis on Europe’s roads, where vulnerable road users—cyclists, children, and pedestrians—are all too often left to fend for themselves in the aftermath of collisions. The consequences can be life-altering, as seen in a harrowing case from Middlesbrough, England, just three months prior to Wiebes’ crash.
On August 21, 2025, a seven-year-old boy was left with a traumatic brain injury after being struck by Michael Hill, a 24-year-old banned electric bike rider. Hill, riding a dark electric scooter alongside his friend Lee Oliver, who was on a red moped and wearing a balaclava, collided with the child as he darted into the street. The boy was knocked unconscious and flown by air ambulance to Newcastle Royal Victoria Infirmary, where he remains wheelchair dependent, facing ongoing health issues and disabilities.
Rather than stop and help, Hill and Oliver fled the scene. According to court testimony cited by local press, Hill had earlier tested positive for cannabis and cocaine during a probation visit, and after the crash, he attempted to escape on his damaged bike before ultimately climbing onto Oliver’s moped and fleeing. The child’s uncle, who heard a “plastic scraping noise” outside his home, rushed to find his nephew lying in the fetal position in the road, drifting in and out of consciousness. The trauma and chaos of that moment are difficult to imagine.
Hill later changed his clothes and tried to cover his tracks, telling hospital staff at Redcar Primary Care Hospital that he’d crashed into a tree. But CCTV footage and diligent police work led to his arrest at James Cook University Hospital on September 1 while he was being treated for a broken arm sustained in the crash. Oliver was arrested the same day.
In Teesside Crown Court, both men appeared via video link from HMP Holme House and pleaded guilty. Hill was sentenced to 55 months in jail and banned from driving for 46 months, with an extended re-test requirement. Oliver received a 12-month jail sentence and a 23-month driving ban. Hill’s convictions extended beyond this single incident, including dangerous driving, possession with intent to supply cannabis and cocaine, and possession of an offensive weapon. These offenses dated back to May 1, 2024, when Hill rode a motorbike into a police officer.
Judge Richard Bennett, presiding over the case, condemned the pair’s actions, describing their flight as “cowardice” and the boy’s injuries as “catastrophic, life changing.” He told the court, “His life will never be the same again.” The child, still an inpatient at the RVI, has no planned discharge date and faces a future forever altered by a moment of reckless disregard.
During sentencing, Hill read out a letter expressing remorse: “I hope the boy is OK. I apologise to him and his family and want him to know how remorseful I am. Every night I think and hope he is OK. I’m sorry for what I’ve done, and that I didn’t stop to help. I was scared…” His defense noted that Hill began dealing drugs to pay off debts from his own use and suffers from PTSD after being struck by a vehicle himself years ago. Oliver’s attorney described him as “almost institutionalised” after years behind bars and noted that he did not initially understand the extent of the boy’s injuries, expressing “sorrow and regret.”
Back in the Netherlands, Wiebes’ story, while less tragic in its outcome, serves as a stark reminder that even the most accomplished and visible athletes are not immune to the perils cyclists face daily. Wiebes’ 2025 season had been nothing short of extraordinary: she became the first woman in two decades to win Milan-Sanremo, claimed two stages and the points jersey in both the Giro Donne and the Tour de France Femmes, and swept the Simac Ladies Tour, winning every stage except the time trial. Off the road, she outsprinted Marianne Vos to become gravel world champion and captured gold on the track in both the scratch race and omnium.
Yet, for all her victories, Wiebes’ experience on that November night is a sobering equalizer—proof that the dangers faced by everyday cyclists are shared by the sport’s elite. The issue is not confined to a single country or demographic; it is a challenge that transcends borders and social status. Whether in the quiet Dutch countryside or the bustling streets of Middlesbrough, the collision of vulnerable road users with reckless or inattentive drivers leaves scars—sometimes visible, often permanent.
As communities grapple with how to make streets safer, the stories of Wiebes, the Middlesbrough child, and countless others make it clear that the stakes are high and the need for change is urgent. The road to safer cycling will require not just better infrastructure and stricter enforcement, but a cultural shift in how all road users regard one another. Until then, each ride carries a measure of risk, and each story like these serves as a call to action for everyone who shares the road.
