Top cyclist has run-in with buffalo

07 May 2015 - 02:19 By Barry McCallum

Former professional cyclist and Super Cycling presenter Andrew Mclean was hospitalised after a collision with a buffalo near the Cradle of Humankind yesterday. News of a roaming buffalo spread when a caller to Radio 702's Early Breakfast Showsaid it was running loose in Fourways, Johannesburg, just after 5am.Sightings were soon being posted on Twitter, with Richard van Zyl (@ElevationIdeas) saying: "Road closed near Dainfern. Looks like a buffalo was struck by a car; took out cyclists too. EMS on scene."Mclean's wife, Ali, later tweeted pictures of a dead buffalo and Andrew's ruined bicycle, saying: "Andrew going in for X-rays now."Mclean was expected to be operated on last night.Ali Mclean said that, according to Andrew, no car was involved and the "buffalo was definitely dead when he hit it"."The odd thing is that it was boiling hot," said Ali. "It was sweaty and had steam rising from it."She described as "rubbish" reports that the buffalo's head "had a massive injury and all four legs were broken".She also said the tail was intact at the scene of the accident, but some reports said it was missing when it arrived at the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.NSPCA spokes man Ainsley Hay said it was unlikely that a buffalo would have been killed by an impact with a cyclist. It was likely that a vehicle was involved...

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