A shocking death
Biker dies halfway through 70-mile charity trek: Details on the Tour de Houston's tragedy
The Tour de Houston witnessed the first fatality in its eight-year history on Sunday when a man died near Brays Bayou during the annual charity bicycle ride.
Jay Evans — a spokesperson with the Houston Fire Department, which handled the dispatch — tells CultureMap that paramedics were called to assist a cyclist who collapsed at the Braeswood Bridge on Stella Link. Evans says that the death was not the result of a collision, but rather from a cardiac-related medical incident.
The death was not the result of a collision, but rather from a cardiac-related medical incident
Participants had three route options measuring 20, 45 and 70 miles in length. At the time of his heart attack, the man was returning from the advanced 70-mile trek, which had a midway turnaround point located near Clear Lake. His identity has not been released, according to HFD.
Viewed by local bicycle enthusiasts as a warm-up to April's annual BP MS150 ride to Austin, this year's Tour de Houston drew upwards of 5,000 attendees.
All funds raised from the event went to RE-Plant Houston, a city campaign dedicated to replacing trees lost in the state's ongoing drought.