Motorcyclist will attend cycling club fundraiser after members saved his life

Motorbiker will attend the event after three club members were the first on the scene when he had a collision with a car

A motorcyclist has told of his intention to visit a fundraising bicycle ride after three cyclists helped save his life.

Paul Taylor was severely injured in a collision with a car in Sibthorpe, Nottinghamshire and three members of Velo Club Flintham were the first on the scene, reports The Newark Advertiser.

Diane Thorpe, David Bates and Nicola Headland happened to be riding past almost immediately after Taylor was sent into a ditch by the crash.

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"It had literally just happened," Thorpe said. "I could see the bike on the road and the rider was lying in the ditch, clearly hurt."

Thorpe took control of the situation, and all three cyclists remained on the scene for over two hours until the motorbiker was flown away in an air ambulance.

Taylor was in a critical state when he arrived in hospital and required six hours in surgery, two weeks in intensive care, a week on the high dependency ward and then a week on the trauma ward before being transferred to a rehabilitation unit at Nottingham City Hospital.

The incident took place in September and he has only just been discharged.

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Following Taylor's crash, it was decided that Velo Club Flintham's fundraiser would aid the Saving Lives Helipad Appeal, which aims to raise £3 million for a helipad at the Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham.

The ride will start from Flintham Cricket Ground on Sunday, December 6. Cyclists will set off in small groups for the 40-mile sportive and are asked to give a donation of £5 towards the appeal.

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Jack Elton-Walters hails from the Isle of Wight, and would be quick to tell anyone that it's his favourite place to ride. He has covered a varied range of topics for Cycling Weekly, producing articles focusing on tech, professional racing and cycling culture. He moved on to work for Cyclist Magazine in 2017 where he stayed for four years until going freelance. He now returns to Cycling Weekly from time-to-time to cover racing, review cycling gear and write longer features for print and online.