Elinor Barker asks drivers to ‘have a bit of patience’ after Olympian was knocked down in hit and run

Elinor Barker has asked drivers to “have a bit of patience” after she was knocked off in a hit and run.

Barker, who is in training for the Tokyo Olympics this summer, almost had her dreams of another gold derailed by a driver who failed to stop at a roundabout in April.

The 26-year-old rider suffered minor injuries, but was forced to take five days off the bike during a key phase of her preparation.

In the UK, someone is killed or seriously injured every 20 minutes on the roads, according to safety charity Brake. 

In an interview with Wales Online Barker, who won team pursuit gold at the Rio 2016 Olympics, said: “I did not get any information on the car whatsoever.

"It happened really quickly. So nothing has happened to the driver. Unfortunately it is part of being on the road.” 

Barker added: "I would say to car drivers just to have a bit of patience, imagine it is someone you love who is holding you up for 10 or 20 seconds.” 

After first revealing the incident on Instagram earlier this year, Barker said she felt lucky that her injuries hadn’t been more serious, as she has spent five years preparing for the delayed Olympic Games. 

The driver didn’t stop at the scene, Barker said, adding: “Seriously, waiting two seconds to check for a cyclist won’t hurt you. Not waiting might hurt somebody else."

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She said: "I find it very hard to think about that person who hit me. They were thinking they did not have time to stop on the way to work. That was nothing to do with me, it was not my fault, it was just because they did not give themselves another five minutes.” 

The Tokyo Olympics are still scheduled to start on July 23, despite increasing pressure to cancel the games due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.