RENO, Nev. (AP) - The city of Reno offered to pay a former Olympic cyclist and another experienced biker $10,000 each to settle claims involving a bike crash that injured the pair and damaged their bicycles, a newspaper reported.
Franz Weber and David Larson filed claims against the city to be compensated for their injuries and other damages following the crash caused by fresh paint on part of a road, the Reno Gazette-Journal reported Tuesday.
Weber is a 1992 Olympian and former world record-holder in speed skiing. He now runs a sports management company in Reno.
Larson didn’t know the pavement was wet during their ride in August until Weber went down in front of him, sliding through the white paint. Larson was unable to avoid Weber and slid into him, flipping over his handlebars onto the road.
Weber sustained severe road abrasions and Larson cut his elbow, and was taken to a hospital by ambulance.
“Both Franz and I had injuries that caused pain and lack of sleep,” Larson said. “We do not want this to happen to anyone else.”
Both cyclists argued there were no signs, such as cones or a visible city truck, warning them of the wet paint. As a result, they also asked the city to implement better procedures for warning road users of wet paint hazards.
“I can tell you where every pebble is on that route,” Larson said. “It’s a world-class route.”
The city offered the $10,000 as a compromise resolution “rather than continuing to debate the existence of city liability,” deputy city attorney Mark Hughs wrote to Weber.
Both riders said the city has improved painting activities in the aftermath of the crash. “Everything was resolved with the city in an amicable manner, … they put measures in place to eliminate things like this,” Weber said.
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