No excuses. Stan crashed on a long, straight, paved road from Pagosa Springs on the way to Alamosa. He just got too close to the side of the road, hit some gravel, and lost control. Fortunately, no one else was involved. Susan, who was riding only a few feet behind in a close Peleton formation, managed to swerve and avoid his helmet by inches. Remarkably, Stan felt much better that he looks here. Nothing but superficial scrapes, albiet in a lot of places. The helmet was badly damaged, though, and had to be replaced. This should be considered a strong testimony to wearing one at all times! Amazingly, Stan rode 84 miles (135 kilometers) the next day.
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Before leaving this photo, it should be added that within five minutes of the crash, Stan was being attended to by a first aid attendant riding on the tour. Within ten minutes, no less that three motorcycle police officers, an ICU nurse riding with official duties to provide aid on the route, and Paul Balaguer, the director of the Ride the Rockies stopped by to see that everything was being attended to. Witin twenty minutes, Stan had been professionally assessed, given immediate first aid, and was being transported in a SAG vehicle with his bike to the Ride the Rockies first aid station mobile unit located in Alamosa. There, he met Carolyn, the friendly nurse seen in the picture here. The support was simply incredible.