Family of triathlete killed after her bike hit a pothole awarded £400k payout

The family of a triathlete killed after hitting a pothole while cycling has been awarded a payout of nearly £400,000 to be paid by Warwickshire County Council.

Kate Vanloo was cycling when she hit a pothole that was hidden by a puddle and was thrown into the path of a car. Subcontractors for the local council had failed to find and repair the pothole.

>>> Danish junior cyclist dies after being hit by car during time trial

In the High Court, the judge said that £388,000 of compensation was to be paid to the 52-year-old's three sons, two of whom are under the age of 18.

The incident occurred when Ms Vanloo was on her way home from training with the Rugby Triathlon club in January 2016.

The pothole should have been repaired within 28 days, but it was three months before the council put in the order to fix it. When workmen went out to repair it in November 2015, they mistakenly fixed a different pothole.

The council told the coroner it had "significantly improved" its pothole reporting and identifying procedures.

Rachel White, head of public affairs for cycling and walking charity Sustrans, said: "This tragedy should be a wake-up call to ensure our roads and streets are safer for everyone, and that the surfaces are safe, in particular for more vulnerable road users, including pedestrians and people who cycle, for whom potholes pose the greatest threat."

According to a survey conducted via Cycling UK and Cycling Weekly with the BBC 5 Live big survey of cyclists, over half of respondents have been harmed after riding into potholes.

Earlier this month, a Danish junior cyclist died after being hit by a car that had got onto the course during a time trial.

Andreas Byskov Sarbov, who was only 18 years old, was racing in the Tour de Himmelfart, when the incident occurred on Friday May 31 during stage three, with the race subsequently cancelled.