Background: Few data on risks and injury patterns of road cycling events are available. The aim of our study was to evaluate all injured participants in the 2006 Hamburg "Cyclassics".
Patients and methods: Injuries of the 182 professional and 18,788 recreational participants were registered with the help of the emergency medical services, the promoter and the hospitals.
Results: A total of 193 injuries were registered in 70 participants; the mean age was 44 years (range: 19-72). The injury rate amounted to 0.37%. Extremities were affected in 94.4%, and 32 fractures were registered. The MAIS amounted to 1.34+/-0.73 (range: 1-4), and the mean ISS was 2.86 +/- 3.61 (range: 1-20). The region affected most frequently was the shoulder girdle. Of the participants, 10% sustained serious injuries (AIS> or =3), which were significantly more frequent in women than in men (p<0.01). Based on 100,000 km most accidents occurred in the 55-km distance (p<0.01); 84.4% of the accidents occurred in groups. The mean speed at the time of the crash was 37.3 km/h (range: 0-57).
Conclusion: In conclusion, accidents were more likely to occur in inexperienced drivers, in the shortest distance, with straight conditions and in well-known dangerous areas.